A Chinese steel company is set to open a pipe mill this spring,bringing hundreds of jobs to an area already thriving from the oil and gas industries and injecting a multi-billion dollar boon to surrounding cities and towns over the next several years.
Director of Administration Mr JJ Johnston said that the company,Tianjin Pipe Corporation America,chose Gregory out of 70 potential sites because of its location in the heart of the oil and gas industries and abundance of qualified workers.
He said that"We are in every sense of the word creating a whole new opportunity for people who already live here."[People will be able to]get a very nice job at a good wage and good benefits to work right here in the Corpus Christi region."
The 1.6 million square foot facility,which will be the largest manufacturing investment by a Chinese company on US soil,has been in the works since 2007 when executives laid the foundation for their plans.They estimate the facility will pump USD 2.7 billion into the local economy during its first decade of operation.
The plant is expected to produce and ship 500,000 metric tonne of seamless steel pipe to energy companies both in the United States and abroad.The pipe,which is produced with recycled scrap metal,is used for a variety of energy projects,including those at Eagle Ford Shale.
The facility will also provide opportunities for local college students who will be able to receive training at their respective school.Mr Johnston said that that."We will train through a variety of local partners to the company's specifications on how to use this advanced manufacturing equipment.The plant will partner with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Del Mar College to offer internships to prospective employees."
Mr Johnston said that the plant expects to hire between 60 and 100 employees this year,with another 600 by 2015.
