RALEIGH, NC – September 9, 2022 –North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced Friday that Wolfspeed, a silicon carbide manufacturing company headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, will establish a new facility in Siler City. The facility will produce a silicon carbide product, often referred to as chips, for use in electric vehicles, 4G and 5G mobile development, and other industrial and commercial uses.
The North Carolina-based company will purchase land at Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Site in Siler City and will create 1,800 jobs at an average salary of $77,753. The company will invest $5 billion in the project in Siler City over the next five years. Wolfspeed is the global leader in silicon carbide technology providing power and radio frequency (RF) semiconductors.
The announcement makes North Carolina history as one of the largest economic development investments ever announced in the state. Silicon carbide is quickly becoming a key material used in several emerging industries, including North Carolina’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle presence and in the roll out of 5G mobile service.
Chatham County has worked to build upon the growth in the Research Triangle and Triad regions and benefits from a robust existing workforce and excellent quality of life. Wolfspeed follows several recent advanced manufacturing announcements in central North Carolina, including the recent VinFast electric vehicle and battery manufacturing plant announced in Moncure and the Toyota battery manufacturing announcement at the nearby Greensboro-Randolph megasite in Liberty.
“The jobs that Wolfspeed is bringing will pay 87% more than our current average wage. That is a huge win for Siler City, Chatham County, and the region,” said Chatham County Board of Commissioners Chair Karen Howard. “The North Carolina Community College system, Chatham County Schools and a network of exceptional public universities in the state were key to bringing this project to our community and will ensure that the jobs of the future are right here in North Carolina and accessible to the residents of Chatham County and beyond,” added Howard.
Wolfspeed’s product families include silicon carbide materials, power-switching devices and RF devices targeted for applications such as electric vehicles, fast charging inverters, power supplies, and service the telecommunications, military, and aerospace industries.
Wolfspeed’s arrival in Siler City is a result of the company’s rapid growth and increasing demands as it seeks to supply the world’s chips. Recent federal legislation has also hastened the development of Wolfspeed products.
“The Siler City community is overjoyed to welcome Wolfspeed,” said Siler City Mayor Chip Price. “Many in Siler City have worked tirelessly to recruit a project to the Chatham- Siler City Advanced Manufacturing Site and I celebrate with each of those at this announcement today.”
The Chatham Economic Development Corporation (EDC) worked alongside multiple local, regional, and state partners to win the project. In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the Golden LEAF Foundation, Chatham County, Randolph County, the Town of Siler City, the City of Asheboro, the Town of Ramseur, the Town of Franklinville, the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation, Duke Energy, Randolph Electric Membership Corporation, Dominion Energy, Samet Corporation, Freese and Nichols, Preston Development, Progressive Resources and Opportunities, the Raleigh Executive JetPort, and North Carolina State University.
The work of the EDC is supported by many investors and allies, including its Accelerate 2026 campaign and Convergent Nonprofit Solutions. Chatham EDC is assisted by the ongoing marketing efforts of both the Carolina Core and the Research Triangle Regional Partnership.
Development of the Chatham-Siler City Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) Site began over a decade ago and was possible with the help of many key individuals. Past EDC Presidents Dianne Reid, Kyle Touchstone, and Alyssa Byrd, along with site partners Tim Booras and D.H. Griffin companies laid the foundation for Siler City’s future success. The EDC is supported by its board of directors, and the strong work of recent past chairmen of the board including Jeff Wilson, Douglas Emmons, and Chris Ehrenfeld.
“This announcement is the culmination of many years of hard work by current and former EDC staff, Chatham County staff, our elected officials, local and regional partners, and support from citizens,” said Chair of the EDC Board of Directors Greg Lewis. “Welcoming a major employer like Wolfspeed to Chatham County will transform the area, positively impacting the tax base and will retain and draw people to the area. This has always been the vision for Chatham County with our two mega sites, and we are very grateful to witness it come to fruition with this project. In addition, the Chatham Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) site with this announcement still has 1,400 acres available for additional future growth, along with almost 300 acres at the adjacent MidState Development site.”
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