US Conec Puts More Than $149.7 Million Into a Hickory Plant, Adding 224 Jobs

HICKORY, N.C. — US Conec Ltd. will invest more than $149.7 million to build a manufacturing facility in Hickory and add 224 new jobs in Catawba County, Gov. Josh Stein announced Oct. 22. The company, headquartered in Hickory since its founding in 1992, designs and makes high-density optical interconnects.

The expansion adds a 200,000-square-foot building for advanced manufacturing, research and development, administrative operations and distribution. The state says the new positions will pay an average of $56,982 a year, above the Catawba County average of $56,937. A performance-based grant of $500,000 from the One North Carolina Fund supports the project. It pays out only if the company meets job creation and investment targets, and it requires matching participation from local governments. The release gives no construction or hiring timeline.