Vertex Rail to assemble tank cars in North Carolina NEWSWIRE

WILMINGTON, N.C. – Vertex Rail Technologies LLC will soon begin manufacturing freight cars in a former Terex Corp. crane-manufacturing facility in Wilmington, creating 1,300 jobs for the coastal city. The company will initially manufacture tank cars, but also has plans to offer covered hoppers as well.

Vertex has received Association of American Railroads certification and approval of its 31,800-gallon general-purpose oil tank car design. This is the first of four different Vertex designs that are either approved or will be submitted soon for approval.

The other car types are a 28,500-gallon coiled and insulated tank car, a 30,000-gallon jacketed tank car, and a 3285-cubic-foot covered hopper.

The company says it looks forward to receiving the balance of the design approvals within the next several months.

Local media reports indicate production will start in about six months.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is urging Vertex, and all North Carolina companies, to strongly consider hiring military veterans as Veterans’ Week in North Carolina comes to a close.

“Veterans can be a major asset for the Vertex workforce,” Gov. McCrory says. “They come to the work place highly trained and their leadership skills can strengthen communities in Brunswick, Columbus, and New Hanover and Pender counties.”

Vertex says it will be hiring assemblers and fitters, welders, and painters as well as personnel with expertise in engineering, logistics, quality assurance, sales, safety and management. The company says that its salaries will average about $40,000 annually.

Vertex will work with Cape Fear Community College on customized training programs and will hire graduates from the college’s traditional degree and certificate programs.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce are contributing $305,000 from the Economic Development Fund for the restoration of the River Road crossing and signals. The Rail Division of DOT is contributing $200,000 from the Freight Rail & Rail Crossing Safety Improvement Fund to improve the rail spur. This fund is funded through dividends from the state-owned North Carolina Railroad Co.