Ralph Lauren Brings Jobs to High Point - North Carolina NPR News

Ralph Lauren Brings Jobs to High Point

June 14, 2012 |

Over the next five years, Ralph Lauren will create 900 new jobs in High Point. Most of them will be in the areas of distribution, embroidery/design, and research and development and salaries will vary according to the position. Thursday, Governor Beverly Perdue was in High Point and announced the expansion. President of the High Point Economic Development Corporation Loren Hill translates that support in terms of dollars, "Ralph Lauren Corporation is increasing our tax base by $163 million dollars". For 23 years, Ralph Lauren has had a strong presence in High Point. Currently, it has a 1,400 person workforce. According to Hill the company's familiarity with the government structure and the resources Piedmont resources made the expansion easy. But Hill says there's another benefit, "Part of this expansion will be distribution," explains Hill. "High Point and the Piedmont Triad are well known for being in the right spot to move products to more than half the U.S. population. In a short amount of time." The state, Guilford County and the city have offered more than
$6.2 million dollars in incentives and grants to Ralph Lauren. But performance agreements and a time line for job creation must be worked out before money is allocated. Since February, two other companies have brought jobs to High Point. Solstas Lab added 500 and Stanley Furniture is moving its headquarters to the city bringing 42 jobs.