A North Carolina substation builder is adding 105 jobs, and the average pay beats the local norm.
Utili-Serve, a utility infrastructure firm founded in Conover in 2008, will invest more than $24.8 million to expand its Catawba County headquarters, Gov. Josh Stein announced October 14. The plan adds a new 25,000-square-foot manufacturing building for field control and protective relay panels. The company handles substation construction, transformer services, and relay panel manufacturing, with 30 crews across the Southeast.
The grid does not only need more power. It needs more people who build the equipment that keeps it safe.
What the Jobs Look Like
The state release names engineering and panel assembly roles, with wages varying by position. The average annual salary will be $62,400, compared with the Catawba County average of $56,937. The state estimates the new jobs could add nearly $6.6 million in annual regional payroll.
Area Development reports the company wants to tap local workforce pipelines, with Catawba Valley Community College among the project partners. Neither source lists open postings yet, so watch the company's careers page and the college's workforce office.
The Incentive Is Performance-Based
North Carolina is backing the project with a $250,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund. The company gets paid only after it hits its job and investment targets, and local governments must match the grant. That structure keeps the 105-job number accountable.
Why the Timing Fits
Utilities are signing long-term deals to serve large new loads. In Indiana, NiSource's GenCo announced a 20-year agreement with Microsoft for its La Porte data center campus, adding about 1,100 MW of capacity, with large customers like Microsoft funding the generation they need. Growth like that requires substations and protection equipment, which is the work Utili-Serve does.
Who Should Pay Attention
Panel wirers, relay technicians, and electrical engineering graduates in the Southeast should have this company on their list. So should students in electrical and electronics programs at community colleges. Ask about starting pay, training, and travel expectations for field crews before you accept an offer.
The Bottom Line
One mid-sized firm in Conover is turning grid demand into 105 local jobs paying above the county average. Check the company's hiring page, call your community college's workforce office, and ask what skills they screen for.
Sources: NC Commerce, Governor Stein Announces 105 New Jobs | Area Development, Utili-Serve Conover | W.Media, NiSource to power Microsoft's La Porte campus
