A specialty steel manufacturer plans to invest up to $875 million to build a large-scale production facility in Hertford County, a project state officials say will bring hundreds of high-paying jobs to northeastern North Carolina.
Gov. Josh Stein announced that US Forged Rings Inc. will develop the operation in three phases on a site adjacent to Nucor Steel’s existing Hertford County facility. The first two phases are projected to create 625 full-time jobs.
Average annual wages for those positions are expected to reach $80,000, well above the county’s current average wage of $47,917, according to local officials.
“US Forged Rings’ investment in Hertford County is a ringing endorsement of our state’s top-notch workforce,” Stein said. “We are committed to delivering the talent companies need and bringing good-paying jobs to every corner of our state.”
US Forged Rings, incorporated in 2022, produces specialty steel products and large-diameter forged components used in power generation and other critical infrastructure. The company is part of the Sozzi family’s industrial group, which has more than four decades of experience in steel forging.
The Hertford County facility will manufacture specialty tubulars, forgings and heavy industrial components such as rings, shafts, cylinders, heat exchangers and reactor parts. Its location next to Nucor Steel is part of a strategic supply chain alignment between the two companies.
“This investment into the first two phases of our Hertford County facility will bring good-paying jobs back to America, substitute imports, lower dependency on foreign suppliers and increase the resilience of the U.S. economy,” said Giacomo Sozzi, CEO and president of US Forged Rings.
Hertford County Board of Commissioners Chairman Andre Lassiter described the announcement as a transformative opportunity for the region.
State and local leaders worked alongside the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System to secure the project.
Construction timelines have not yet been released. Officials say additional details will be shared as development progresses.
