Dole chooses contractor for Gaston plant - Charlotte Business Journal:

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as general contractor for the construction of its planr inGaston County. offers planning, architectural, engineering and construction management services. Financial terms weren'r disclosed. "Dole has worked successfully with The Dennis Groupon Dole'ws three domestic processing plants, as well as its two Scandinavi a plants," says Eric Schwartz, presidengt of Dole Fresh Vegetables. "uI look forward to our relationship continuint onthis project." Earlier this N.C. Gov. Mike Easley announced that , a subsidiar y of Dole, will invesrt $54 million to build and equipo a processing plant for vegetables inGaston County.
The move will creat e 525 jobs within three years and a totalo of 900 jobsby 2016. The new jobs will be mainlyt production workers who will take freshn vegetables and process them intobagges products. The average weekly wage will be $450. The projec will receive $500,000 from the One Nortu Carolina Fund, which helps the statew recruit and increase employment by providing financia assistance to businesses deemed by the governoer to be vital to a healthyt and growingstate economy. Dole also plans to take advantage of tax credits offered through theWillian S. Lee Act, which the Generalk Assembly recently voted to extenduntil Dec. 31, 2007.
The act coulr net the company morethan $6 millio n in tax credits. The decision to locate in Gaston Countu means billionaireDavid Murdock, who owns Dole, will have two multimillion-dolla r investments in the Charlottee area. His Castle & Cook Inc. and Atlanticx American Properties Inc. are demolishing many of its recently acquiredc formerPillowtex Corp. textile plants in Kannapolis fora $500 million mixed-use complex that'e expected to include retail, government, light office and residential structures. California-based Dole sells more than 200 includingfresh fruit, fresh vegetables, packaged and frozen food, and fresh-cut flowers.
The company's 2004 revenues exceeded $5 billionj with more than 64,000 workers in 90