FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — SteelFab plans to invest $22 million to expand its Fayetteville manufacturing operation, a project local economic development officials say will create 42 jobs and add a new 129,000-square-foot facility in the Murchison Road corridor.
The expansion will be built adjacent to SteelFab’s existing Fayetteville operation near Country Club and Distribution drives. The new positions are expected to pay an average annual salary of nearly $70,000, according to the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation.
SteelFab, a North Carolina-founded structural steel manufacturer, operates facilities in 13 states and produces fabricated steel for commercial and industrial construction projects, including work in the health care, education and logistics sectors.
The company’s Fayetteville operation has contributed steel to projects in the region, including the new Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine.
SteelFab acquired the former Hercules Steel operation in Fayetteville in 2021, continuing a steel fabrication presence at the site that predates the company’s arrival.
The Fayetteville expansion was not guaranteed.
During the economic development process, SteelFab considered potential locations in Virginia and South Carolina before selecting Fayetteville for the project.
The City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County approved a combined $690,987 incentive package for the expansion. The local incentives are scheduled to be distributed in installments over five years.
The state also awarded a performance-based $125,000 One North Carolina Fund grant connected to the expansion. One NC grants require companies to meet investment and job-creation requirements before receiving funds.
State and local announcements differ slightly in how they describe the project. Fayetteville-area economic development officials announced a $22 million investment creating 42 jobs, while the governor’s office and N.C. Department of Commerce described the state-supported project as an investment of more than $19 million creating 38 jobs.
The expansion also follows months of discussion over land surrounding SteelFab’s existing operation.
A request submitted on behalf of the company originally sought to rezone approximately 123 acres near Country Club and Distribution drives from Light Industrial and Conservation District zoning to Heavy Industrial.
The proposal drew concerns from nearby residents about noise, potential environmental effects and the range of industrial uses that could be permitted in the future under Heavy Industrial zoning.
Following a July hearing, the Fayetteville Zoning Commission recommended reducing the Heavy Industrial portion to approximately 61 acres. The applicant agreed to the reduction, leaving the existing Conservation District portion in place.
Fayetteville City Council subsequently approved the revised rezoning in August.
The new manufacturing facility represents another significant industrial investment in the Murchison Road corridor and keeps SteelFab’s planned expansion in Fayetteville while adding manufacturing positions paying above the county’s average wage.
For SteelFab, it also represents a substantial expansion of a Fayetteville operation the company acquired only five years ago.
Kres Thomas, FayToday News
kresthomas@faytoday.com
