Letter to the Editor: A real investment in our future
Dear Editor,
A short while ago, our dishwasher at home broke. Like many of you, my family and I went to Lowe’s in Kinston to look for a new one. We bought a replacement and had it installed. I didn’t give much thought to where it was made or who built it.
Later that week, during our annual economic development visit, I stopped by the Electrolux plant in Kinston, located just half a mile from that Lowe’s. These annual visits to our manufacturers are crucial for our economic development program, allowing us to show our appreciation to local manufacturers and see if there’s any support they might need from the county, our excellent community college, our outstanding public school system, state government or other agencies.
I met with Jeff Britt, the plant manager at Electrolux, who grew up in Lenoir County. Jeff began working at Electrolux right after graduating from Lenoir County Public Schools and now leads the 500-employee plant in Kinston. I quickly recognized the dishwashers being produced at the plant were the same model I’d just purchased and installed at home. It turns out my dishwasher may have been built in Kinston by employees who live and work right here in our community. Sometimes, it really is a small world.
The Electrolux plant in Kinston is now celebrating its 35th anniversary of operation. For 35 years, the plant has provided well-paying wages to residents of Lenoir County and surrounding areas, contributing to the growth of our workforce and community. These employees live and work in our community, which means they are spending their hard-earned money in our community at our local small businesses and family-owned restaurants.
Electrolux is also a valuable partner in workforce development. Just this year, Electrolux hosted students from Lenoir County Public Schools for a morning, giving them a tour of the facility and offering valuable soft skills training to help them turn a job into a career.
At the Nov. 4 meeting of the Lenoir County Board of Commissioners, the board passed a resolution honoring Electrolux’s 35 years of service to our community. This recognition goes beyond just their impact on our economy; it celebrates the local jobs they’ve created, the skilled workforce they’ve developed, and the strong partnerships they’ve built with our economic development team, our schools, community college, and community organizations.
Electrolux’s commitment to Lenoir County is more than just good business—it’s a real investment in our future. We look forward to many more years of Electrolux calling Kinston home and continuing to grow, just like Lenoir County.
Trey Cash is the Director of Economic Development for Lenoir and Greene Counties. You can reach him at trey.cash@ncgtpedr.com.
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