Jabil Inc., headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, will establish a manufacturing facility in Rowan County, North Carolina, to serve cloud and AI data center customers, Governor Josh Stein announced June 30, 2025. The company expects to create 1,181 jobs and invest approximately $500 million over several years. The Economic Investment Committee approved a 12-year Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) to support the project, with state payments contingent on performance verification by the Departments of Commerce and Revenue.
What it means
The JDIG agreement authorizes up to $11,251,800 in potential reimbursement to Jabil and projects $3.2 billion in economic growth to the state over the grant term, with the state receiving $2.15 in revenue for every dollar of potential cost — a projected 115 percent return on public dollars, according to the state. The potential annual payroll impact for the region is more than $73.2 million. As a Tier 2 county, Rowan County also triggers a $1,250,200 deposit into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account, which finances infrastructure upgrades for rural communities. “The drive to build AI data centers is only accelerating in the United States,” said Matt Crowley, Executive Vice President, Global Business Units, in the state’s announcement.
Partners on the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, N.C. Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, the North Carolina Community College System, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Rowan County, and the Rowan Economic Development Council. Governor Stein said companies already operating in North Carolina “know the value of doing business in our state better than anyone.” The Jabil announcement is part of a broader set of projects Governor Stein has announced since January 1, totaling nearly $17 billion in new capital investment and over 19,000 jobs.
Key facts
- Jobs: 1,181 new positions expected in Rowan County, N.C.
- Investment: approximately $500 million over several years, according to the company
- Potential annual payroll impact: more than $73.2 million for the region, according to the state
- JDIG term: 12 years; potential reimbursement to Jabil up to $11,251,800
- Projected state economic growth over grant term: $3.2 billion; $264 million of company investment factored into JDIG formula
- Projected return on public dollars: 115 percent; $2.15 in state revenue per dollar of potential cost
- Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account deposit: $1,250,200 (Rowan County is Tier 2)
- Jabil global footprint: 140,000 employees, operations in more than 25 countries, 30 U.S. locations
- Announcement date: June 30, 2025
Source: North Carolina Department of Commerce news release (commerce.nc.gov)