Over 220 jobs coming to Charlotte area as Australian company plans first US facility

An Australian environmental engineering company is expanding to the United States, with plans to make Statesville the home of a new 260,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office announced Tuesday. The move will bring an expected 226 jobs to Iredell County.

EPOC Enviro is a remediation company. It produces a solution that removes harmful substances from the water, soil and industrial systems, according to Cooper’s office. EPOC — a subsidiary of OPEC Systems of Australia — stands for Emerging Pollutants of Concern.

The company uses a foam technology to remove pollutants.

It plans to invest $4.1 million in the Statesville location. The company’s building is just off Route 70 at Barkley Road, at the newly-built Statesville Commerce Center. EPOC will take up space in the building in the coming weeks, according to company spokeswoman Michelle Mahon.

Once operational by the summer, the company will be hiring for electricians, engineers, fitters, managers, technicians and administrative personnel, Cooper’s office said. The average annual salary is close to $65,000, slightly above the average wage of $64,433 in Iredell County.

“After looking at possible sites all over America we are delighted to have settled on North Carolina as the hub for our U.S. business activities,” Peter Murphy, EPOC’s president, said in a statement released by Cooper’s office.

Statesville is about 45 minutes north of Charlotte.

NC grant award

EPOC Enviro received a state Jobs Development Investment Grant award of about $1.2 million over 12 years, Cooper’s office said.

State payments only occur when the company meets job creation and investment goals.