$82.8M Ferguson expansion to create 434 jobs in Newport News
$82.8M Ferguson expansion to create 434 jobs in Newport News
Ferguson
By Kevin Green and Brandi Cummings
Published: June 5, 2017
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — An $82.8 million expansion of Ferguson in Newport News is expected to create more than 400 jobs.
“This was a big deal for the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Gov. Terry McAuliffe said during the expansion announcement Monday morning at the Newport News Marriott.
“This is a long-term commitment, so we’re here. We’re here to stay,” Ferguson CEO Frank Roach said.
Ferguson, the largest supplier of residential and commercial plumbing supplies in the U.S., will expand to add a new facility at the Newport News City Center.
This was an investment decision that took two years to finalize.
“When you consider this kind of move, you’re doing the right thing. That you’re doing the right discovery around — What are the options, what are the opportunities?” Roach said. “We felt like it was very important and in the end I feel like we ended up with the right decision.”
Several state and local elected officials were in attendance at the news conference. Newport News Mayor McKinley Price said the new facility will be the cornerstone of City Center.
“It’s just hard to put into words how big this is for us,” Mayor Price said.
The Commonwealth beat out several other states for the project.
“California, Nevada and some other states worked it aggressively but Ferguson made the right choice,” Gov. McAuliffe said.
This expansion means the 1,000 jobs at Ferguson’s existing facility remain and more than 400 will be added.
“This is what you dream about as a mayor. These are the days that make the other days less complicated, because you know days like today you can be proud of,” Mayor Price said.
The company expects to start construction next year. Roach told 10 On Your Side it could be two to three years before they open the new facility.
Ferguson was founded in 1953 and now has more than 1,400 locations and over 23,000 employees nationwide. It has called Virginia home for more than 60 years and serves customers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Caribbean.