"Lenovo and Deere-Hitachi Expand In North Carolina"

North Carolina's economy continues to show signs of recovery as established employers ramp up production. Computer giant Lenovo and heavy equipment manufacturer Deere-Hitachi are among the latest companies to announce expansions in North Carolina.

Lenovo, the world’s second-largest personal computer vendor, recently announced the company will build a U.S. personal computer manufacturing line in Whitsett, near Greensboro. As part of the expansion, Lenovo will create 115 new manufacturing jobs where workers will build both Think-branded notebook and desktop PCs for sale to domestic business, government and education customers, as well as consumers.

The new U.S. PC manufacturing line currently is under construction and will open in early 2013. It will reside within Lenovo’s recently expanded, 240,000-square-foot U.S. distribution center in Whitsett. Hiring for the manufacturing and related positions will begin later this year. The U.S. manufacturing line will be capable of turning out some of Lenovo’s newest and most innovative products, such as the recently announced ThinkCentre M92p Tiny Desktop and ThinkPad Tablet 2. Lenovo believes that having a manufacturing component in the U.S. can provide the capability to deliver products to customers more quickly and reliably in many situations, while offering an even broader and more valuable set of PC-related services.

“Lenovo is establishing a U.S. manufacturing base because we believe in the long-term strength of the American PC market and our own growth opportunities here,” said Yuanqing Yang, chairman and CEO, Lenovo. “As Lenovo expands globally, we are establishing even deeper roots in each major market. In addition to localized sales and marketing teams, in our major countries we are establishing an even stronger manufacturing footprint, investing in R&D and ensuring that we hire top local talent. This global reach with local excellence helps us become even faster, more innovative and more responsive to our customers around the world.”

Lenovo’s U.S. headquarters is located in Research Triangle Park. The company employs more than 2,000 people in North Carolina. Lenovo is a $30 billion personal technology company serving customers in more than 160 countries. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services. Its product lines include Think-branded commercial PCs and Idea-branded consumer PCs, as well as servers, workstations, and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smart phones.

Deere-Hitachi also announced plans to expand their Kernersville facility. The company plans to create at least 340 jobs by the end of 2016, and invest more than $97 million in its Forsyth County facility. These announcements defy a trend that has seen manufacturing jobs migrate overseas for more than two decades. “Companies like Deere-Hitachi recognize that North Carolina is a great place to thrive because of our top-notch business climate, incredibly well-trained workforce, and central location with access to customers and transportation channels,” said Gov. Perdue. “When the company was ready to expand, North Carolina was the perfect choice.”

Deere-Hitachi is a 50/50 joint venture between John Deere located in Moline, Ill. and Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation in Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1988 to provide both Hitachi and Deere brand excavators to the Americans. As part of Gov. Perdue’s most recent visit to Japan, she met with executives at Hitachi to discuss its current presence in North Carolina and opportunities for it to grow.

“This investment will have a significant positive impact on the State of North Carolina, providing additional employment opportunities for Deere-Hitachi as well as many of our North Carolina-based suppliers,” noted, Al Seeba, Chairman and CEO of Deere-Hitachi. “Deere-Hitachi has been manufacturing in the state since 1988, and we are pleased to partner with state and local officials to help make our vision a reality.”