Window manufacturer plans to add 500 jobs in Johnston County

A New York window-and-door manufacturer is planning to add about 500 jobs in Johnston County as part of a $100 million expansion, a government official with direct knowledge of the plans told WRAL on Wednesday.

Crystal Window & Door Systems is expected to create the jobs at a new factory in Selma, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the deal publicly.

Johnston County officials were scheduled to meet Thursday at the Selma Civic Center to discuss possible economic incentives for the company, according to a county notice. The county’s Board of Commissioners is seeking public comment on a proposed economic development grant, which it could approve at the meeting. The town of Selma is also considering an incentives grant for the company.

Executives at Crystal Window & Door didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The company, which makes windows for commercial and residential customers, would build the facility at the Eastfield Crossing development, east of the intersection of Interstate 95 and U.S. 70, according to the county notice, which didn’t identify the company.

County officials are considering annual cash grants paid from general county funds over a seven-year period, assuming the company hits job creation targets, the notice said. The company is expected to boost the county’s tax base through the creation of “a substantial number of new, permanent jobs in the county,” according to the notice.

The board is expected to consider approval of incentives based on the company’s commitment to invest in real estate, build the facility and create jobs — standard factors in many incentives deals.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Economic Investment Committee, which approves state economic incentives deals, is also holding a special meeting Thursday to consider one or more economic development proposals. A spokesman for the department declined to comment on whether the two meetings were related.

Rapid growth

Crystal Window & Door Systems, which is based in the Queens borough of New York City, has expanded rapidly in recent months.

Last week, the company announced that it would expand a facility in northeastern Pennsylvania to speed production of vinyl windows. The company also expanded insulated glass fabrication capabilities in Pennsylvania.

In March, the company entered the Canadian market through a partnership with Wincan Windows & Doors, creating affiliate Crystal Canada Windows. And last year, the company opened a Dallas, Texas, sales and distribution office to serve trade professionals such as contractors, builders, architects.

The company’s expansion in North Carolina would be the latest in a string of manufacturing jobs announcements in the state this year, and one of the latest companies to focus on energy efficiency. Many of Crystal’s products are geared toward customers looking to make buildings more energy-efficient.

Last week, Vietnamese solar panel manufacturer Boviet Solar said it would build its first North American solar panel plant in Greenville, creating more than 900 jobs with the $294 million investment. State and local officials approved incentives worth more than $25 million to entice the company.

Since 2017, the state has announced at least 17,500 jobs focused on energy efficiency or producing products that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Those jobs have been tied to projects that have brought more than $22.1 billion in capital investment to the state, according to commerce officials.