North Charlotte Today

The Albemarle Corp. is planning a Charlotte facility where the company will develop advanced materials research and process improvement approaches and innovations to bring the next generation of products in the lithium and battery markets.

“North Carolina’s innovation economy continues to surge, thanks to Albemarle Corp. building its research and development operations in Mecklenburg County,” Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) said, according to the Official Website of the State of North Carolina. “Albemarle’s cutting-edge work will help bring the next generation of clean energy technology to life and create great jobs in North Carolina’s clean energy economy.” 

Plans call for Albemarle to invest $200 million in the University City area to develop the technology park that will focus on the research and development of the products. 

“Albemarle appreciates the support from the state of North Carolina and the city of Charlotte for this exciting project,” company CEO Kent Masters told the Official Website of North Carolina. “The Albemarle Technology Park is an important piece of our journey to develop advanced energy storage technologies that power our future.” 

Wages for the new jobs will vary, depending on position, but the average salary will be around $94,000, which is above the current Mecklenburg County average of $75,907.

The city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County each offered Albemarle Job Development Investment Grants (JDIG) to help cover some of the plan’s costs. Those funds will not be disbursed until the agreed-upon capital investment has been made, property taxes have been paid and new jobs have been created.