Oct. 7--DURHAM -- A parachute of jobs could be raining down soon for workers in Roxboro.

Gov. Beverly Perdue's office announced Tuesday that North American Aerodynamics Inc., a military and sports parachutes manufacturer based in Roxboro, plans to invest nearly $900,000 for a facility expansion and create 375 new jobs -- nearly quintupling the company's current work force.

North American Aero recently inked a new contract with the U.S. military for cargo and flare parachutes for operations in Afghanistan. The new hires will be paid an average of $23,834 annually for cutting, sewing and assembling parachutes for the new contract.

The company, at 110 Carver Drive, also plans on expanding and renovating two existing nearby buildings to meet increased production demands, according to the governor's office.

Company president John Higgins was not available to comment on the details of the jobs or the build-out.

North American Aerodynamics' expansion was made possible with the help of a $300,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, which provides financial assistance to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity, according to the governor's office.

Grants from the fund are contingent upon local matches.

Roxboro Area Chamber of Commerce President Marcia O'Neil said the new jobs will offer relief to the unemployed workers in the area.

Person County has a total labor force of about 20,000 workers. In August, the rural county had an unemployment rate of 10.9 percent and about 2,100 unemployed workers, according to the N.C. Employment Security Commission.

After posting unemployment rates in the range of 6 percent to 7 percent for most of 2008, jobless numbers rose swiftly in Person County earlier this year and jumped to 12.6 percent in February.

"We have recently had some other businesses that have gone out of business, so I think we're going to find that these 375 jobs will offer relief to a lot of people," O'Neil said. "Because this was a highly textile-focused manufacturing area in the past, there are a lot of people with those skills."

North American Aerodynamics is a privately held company that was founded in 1964 and currently employs 45 people. Fifty-five additional workers are on seasonal furloughs, according to the governor's office.

Jim Stovall, director of the Person County Economic Development office, said the city and county will be meeting to discuss matching the One NC Fund's $300,000 grant.

Stovall added that many of the workers on seasonal furloughs are being called back to work. The furloughs occur annually in August and September, he said, when the company waits to enter into new contracts with the military.

Under the One NC Fund, companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds, the governor's office said.

For more information on jobs with North American Aerodynamics and to submit a r

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