Manufacturer commitment to Kingsboro yields elation

A key official of battery manufacturer Natron Energy made clear that work is going to start next year on building a nearly $1.4 billion plant at the Kingsboro Business Park off U.S. 64 in Edgecombe County between Rocky Mount and Tarboro.

“We plan to break ground in the first half of next year with production starting in 2027,” Natron Vice President of Operations Strategy Mike Boike said in an interview Thursday afternoon after a gathering at Edgecombe Community College’s Keihin Auditorium that was held to announce the company’s plans.

More specifically, Boike said that people are going to see construction start some time between April and June.

Asked whether Natron has a construction firm lined up and the materials ready to start building the future plant, Boike said, “We’re working on that right now.”

Gov. Roy Cooper used the speaker’s podium in the auditorium to announce the California-based company’s intention to build the plant, which is going to result in the creation of more than 1,000 jobs.

Boike, who was among VIPs sitting in the auditorium’s front row, had the job of leading Natron’s site selection process for the plant, which was a nationwide search.

Boike said that he looked at more than 70 sites in nine states, primarily in the southeastern and the southwestern parts of the nation. States in the Midwest were also considered, he said.

The Kingsboro Business Park is more commonly called the Kingsboro megasite. A megasite is a place suitable and available for significant economic and industrial investment.

Boike said that Kingsboro was not the only megasite he looked at in the nation and was not the only potential location he looked at in North Carolina.

Asked Thursday afternoon whether Natron wants to build an addition to the future plant if business booms, Boike said, “You’d better believe it.”

And Boike expressed elation about Thursday’s gathering.

“You could feel the energy in the room — just like I felt the energy in the community as I went through the selection process,” he said.

Attendees of the gathering also were elated after the gathering, with Rocky Mount businessman Tom Betts saying, “Kingsboro has languished for a long time. We just couldn’t make anything stick, but Natron is the first olive out of the bottle.”

Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO David Farris said it was a great day for the Twin Counties and the region.

“This is wonderful,” Farris said. “This is the start of a new chapter in eastern North Carolina.”

Gus Tulloss, who is in the insurance business in Rocky Mount, recalled the impact on the area’s economy when CKE Restaurants, which is the parent company of the Hardee’s fast-food chain, pulled its headquarters out of the city in 1999 and when then-RBC Centura bank in 2006 announced intentions to shift its headquarters from the city to downtown Raleigh.

“But this new crew, I think, is going to revolutionize our area — and I’m so thrilled,” Tulloss said of Natron.

N.C. Sen. Lisa Barnes, R-11th District, said that she believes that this is wonderful news not only for Edgecombe County, but also for the whole region.

The 11th District comprises Franklin, Nash and Vance counties.

“We’re getting lots of jobs, so we’re looking forward to it,” Barnes said.

N.C. Rep. Shelly Willingham, D-23rd District, also was elated with Thursday’s announcement.

The 23rd District is composed of Bertie, Edgecombe and Martin counties.

“This is like the crown on the jewel,” Willingham said.

He noted that he was an Edgecombe County commissioner when the county started acquiring land for development for an economic development park in the Kingsboro area.

Willingham said he felt like Thursday’s announcement was coming full circle. “And this is the beginning of something big,” Willingham said.

N.C. Superior Court Judge Lamont Wiggins, who is a former Rocky Mount city councilman, called the announcement awesome.

“And it’s just a forecast of many great things to come for the future for this entire region,” Wiggins said.

Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, who along with Tarboro Mayor Tate Mayo gave the introductory remarks at the gathering, said afterward that he is thrilled.

“We’ve got wind in our sail — and we need to be working hard to try to capture and harness that power in positive directions for the city,” Roberson said.

Rocky Mount City Councilman Tom Harris, who grew up in Williamston, said afterward that this is one of the bigger economic news items he has seen in his lifetime.

“And I’m just thinking and hoping that this will be a big spark plug for other industries and ancillary companies to really bring more industry and other jobs to this region,” Harris said. “It’s a truly great win — and I commend everybody for making this happen.”

Edgecombe Community College President Greg McLeod said afterward that this is exciting not just for the community, but for all of those involved in higher education.

“We’re looking forward to rolling up our sleeves and doing all we can to help support this venture — and make sure that it’s a success for our entire community,” McLeod said. “Obviously, the college is going to play a critical role in training the future workers for Natron, but it’s going to take all of us working together, not just in Edgecombe County, but in our surrounding areas.”