RALEIGH: Metal Specialist LLC, a custom metal fabricator, will create 33 new jobs in Duplin County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest more than $2.9 million to build a new headquarters operations and manufacturing facility in the Town of Wallace.

“We are excited to announce that Metal Specialist has made the deliberate decision to expand in rural North Carolina," said Governor Cooper. “North Carolina-based companies know that our resilient economy, our great quality of life and our skilled workforce will continue to support their growth trajectory.”

Founded in 2010 in Sampson County by William Chestnutt, The Metal Specialist is a fabricator and distributor of Energy Star metal roofing products for the agricultural, commercial and residential roofing industries. With a focus on exceptional customer service and retention of sales, the family-owned company has locations in Jacksonville and Clinton. The Metal Specialist will build a new headquarters operation to include a manufacturing plant for custom metal fabrication with expansion plans for a 14,000-square-foot distribution center on five acres of land in the SouthPark Industrial Park. 

“We are honored to receive the support from the Commerce department and its key partners all the way down to the Town of Wallace. Our success as a small business is built on the principle of retaining sales and we’re especially thankful to Carrie Shields and Duplin County Economic Development for their confidence in Metal Specialist to be an asset to Duplin County,” said William Chesnutt, CEO of Metal Specialist, LLC. "This expansion supports our strategic plan for market penetration to open additional metal roofing and siding storefronts in southeastern North Carolina and South Carolina.” 

“As we celebrate Commerce’s 50th anniversary, the success of North Carolina’s small businesses and entrepreneurs, like the Metal Specialist company, has never been more important to our state’s economy,” said Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “We will continue to invest in our workforce development system and work with our economic development partners to support local businesses and help attract more jobs and investment to rural North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce led a team of partners in support of Metal Specialist’s decision to expand. The new positions include machinists, drivers, customer service representatives, clerical staff, operators and managerial roles. The average annual salary for these new positions is $40,213, creating a potential annual payroll impact of more than $1.3 million. Duplin County’s average salary is $36,490.

A performance-based grant of $100,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate Metal Specialist’s expansion to Duplin County. The OneNC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All OneNC grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

“I am well-pleased and extend my best wishes to the Metal Specialist Company, their management, customers, suppliers, and especially their employees for many years of profitable success in Duplin County,” said N.C. Representative Jimmy Dixon. “I also commend our Duplin County economic development folks for their efforts to attract and secure this excellent company.”

“This is an outstanding announcement for our community, dynamic workforce and the entire state,” said N.C. Senator Brent Jackson. “When existing industry expands in North Carolina, it sends a strong signal to other companies that we’re the best place to do business.”

The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina were key partners in the project that included the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, Duplin County, the Duplin County Economic Development Commission, North Carolina’s Southeast, Duke Energy and the Town of Wallace.