Granville County secures 170 new jobs by 2024 as used-car network expands

The company behind a nationwide network of used-vehicle stores is growing in Granville County, promising to soon deliver more than 170 new jobs to the rural area above the Triangle.

On Tuesday, Auction Direct USA announced it will expand to the town of Oxford, about 30 miles northeast of Durham. The facility will primarily recondition cars before they are resold. According to the North Carolina Economic Investment Committee, Auction Direct will pay average annual wages of $88,250, compared to the Granville County average wage of around $48,000.

To attract Auction Direct, North Carolina awarded the western New York-based company a job development investment grant worth up to $2.08 million. According to the North Carolina Economic Investment Committee (EIC), Auction Direct picked Oxford over four other locations, two in Pennsylvania, one in Georgia and another in Maryland.

The company has pledged to bring 173 jobs to Oxford by the end of 2024. Up to two of those positions could be remote. In its agreement with the state, Auction Direct will also retain the 74 jobs it currently has in Wake County.

Auction Direct is expected to spend $2.9 million on the site over the next 18 months.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Oxford has roughly 8,770 residents. It is the county seat of Granville and borders both Durham and Wake counties.

The state will pay out its $2.08 million job development investment grant through payroll tax breaks as Auction Direct meets its hiring targets. On Tuesday, the EIC announced up to an additional $231,000 could go to North Carolina’s local utility fund that rural counties tap into to help cover the cost of infrastructure improvements.

According to the Walden model, which the state uses to assess its major economic projects, the vehicle recondition plant in Oxford will bump North Carolina’s GDP up $394 million and leave the state with a new revenue increase of $8.6 million.

This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work.

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