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Gov. Bev Perdue announced recently that Compass Group USA, Inc., a hospitality and support services company will move some corporate jobs from several regional headquarter operations to Charlotte.
The company plans to create 200 jobs over the next four years with an $8.5 million capital investment in Charlotte. The project was made possible in part by a state grant from the Job Development Investment Grant program.
“Compass Group PLC is the 17th largest employer in the world,” Gov. Perdue said. “The fact that international corporations, which clearly have a choice as to where they do business, continue to bring these kinds of projects to North Carolina proves that our investment in education and job training is paying off.”
Compass Group USA and its subsidiaries provide dining and support services to corporate clients, educational and healthcare facilities, and sports and entertainment venues in the United States and Canada. Compass Group USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Compass Group PLC, which is based in London and traded on the London Stock Exchange. Compass Group PLC employs over 428,000 associates worldwide and currently employs more than 1,000 people in its Charlotte headquarters.
While individual wages for the 200 jobs will vary by job function, the overall average for the new jobs will be $52,500 a year, not including benefits. The Mecklenburg County average annual wage is $51,584.
“At a time when unemployment remains at historic levels, Compass Group is pleased to be able to bring 200 jobs to the state and to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. We’re proud to receive this investment from Governor Perdue’s JobsNOW program,’ said Gary Green, CEO of Compass Group North America.
“Compass knows what more and more companies are discovering every day,” said Rep. Martha Alexander, of Charlotte. “They know that when they come to North Carolina they can find workers who are ready to go on day one, thanks to our schools and job training programs.”
“This is why we fought against education cuts in the budget,” said Sen. Charlie Dannelly, of Charlotte. “Companies move here knowing that they don’t have to build a well-educated and well-trained workforce, because there’s one waiting for them.”
To help facilitate this expansion, the state Economic Investment Committee today voted to award a Job Development Investment Grant to Compass Group USA. JDIGs are awarded only to new and expanding businesses and industrial projects whose benefits exceed the costs to the state and which would not be undertaken in North Carolina without the grant.
Under the terms of the JDIG, the company is eligible to receive a grant equal to 55 percent of the state personal income withholding taxes derived from the creation of new jobs for each of the eight years in which the company meets annual performance targets. If Compass Group USA meets the targets called for under the agreement, the JDIG could yield $1.7 million in maximum benefits for the company.
Other partners that assisted with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges and the Charlotte Chamber.
Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state continues to work aggressively to create well-paying jobs, train and retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
For more information about Compass Group USA, including job opportunities, visit www.compass-usa.com.
