Shipping giant delays Charlotte plans to bring 520 jobs and relocate its HQ here
Maersk, a Denmark-based shipping and logistics company, is putting its plans to bring 520 jobs to Charlotte on hold. Temporarily.
In November, Maersk announced that it would be moving its North American headquarters to Charlotte in a $16 million expansion, which promised to add 520 jobs to the area between this year and 2028.
But on Tuesday, the shipping company told the state’s Economic Investment Committee that it would need to delay those plans a year. Instead, Maersk will add the jobs between 2027 and 2029.
The shipping company is in the process of renovating its existing space on Arrowpoint Boulevard. Given the renovations, Maersk said it needs more time to prepare for the move, spokeswoman Chelsea Pavona Gardner told The Charlotte Observer Tuesday.
The investment committee approved the change on Tuesday, which also delays Maersk’s job development investment grant.
Using a formula with new tax revenues generated by the new jobs and capital investment, the grant will potentially give the company up to $7.9 million over 12 years. No grant money has been issued yet.
This is the second company this year to make changes to its economic development agreement.
In January, CommScope pulled the plug on its $60 million expansion plan that promised to create 250 jobs in Catawba County. The state later terminated an almost $2 million economic development agreement grant with the telecommunications company.
Maersk intends to maintain the rest of its agreement with the state.
More about Maersk
Maersk is a major global shipping and logistics company that moves products around the world. It has about 100,000 employees in over 130 countries, including around 670 in Mecklenburg County.
Maersk’s current U.S. headquarters is in northern New Jersey. When the shipping company was deciding to move locations, the two finalists were Charlotte and Atlanta.
The labor markets, transportation infrastructure and North Carolina’s overall business climate all factored into Maersk’s decision to relocate to the Queen City.
The company plans to hire for logistics and supply, finance, legal and customer service. Some roles won’t require a college degree. The average salary will be at least $100,963.
