Charlotte region lands 200 jobs, $41 million investment for American Eagle site
American Eagle Outfitters Inc. plans to invest $41 million and create more than 200 full-time jobs in the Charlotte region with a new distribution hub for the Southeast, Gov. Josh Stein’s office said Friday.
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American Eagle will open a 472,890-square-foot facility at Innovation Logistics Center at 1415 Peeler Road in Salisbury, Rowan County Economic Development Corp. said Friday. The facility is expected to begin operations in early 2027.
The move represents long-term growth for the company’s supply chain and distribution network, the company’s CEO Jay Schottenstein said.
“North Carolina offers the workforce, infrastructure and strategic location needed to continue powering our brands and connecting us to customers,” Schottenstein said in the statement from Stein’s office.
The average annual salary for positions such as management, maintenance and operations will be $57,351. Rowan County’s average of $57,155. These new jobs could potentially create a payroll impact of more than $4 million for the region annually, Stein’s office said.
For its investment, American Eagle will receive $150,000 in state tax incentives based on hiring 70 employees.
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners approved a three-year property tax incentive for the project at their June 1 meeting under the code name “Project Rack,” Rowan Economic Development Council spokeswoman Mikayla Smith said Friday. The total value of this incentive is estimated to be $239,192.
This is the latest company expansion in Rowan County creating hundreds of manufacturing jobs, including the state’s second-largest hiring announcement of the year.
Last month, Fortune 500 company Jabil Inc. said it plans to invest $264 million in a Rowan County manufacturing facility that will create nearly 1,200 jobs. The factory in the former Gildan building in Granite Industrial Park will make data center hardware such as liquid cooling enclosures and server racks.
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The average wage is expected to be at least $62,000. Operations are expected to begin this year. Founded in 1966 and based in Florida, Jabil employs nearly 1,000 people North Carolina in Asheville, Hendersonville and Mebane.
Also last month, Piedmont Cheerwine Bottling Co. announced expansion plans to add 100 workers, doubling its workforce. Piedmont is a sister company of Cheerwine, the popular soda brand. The company plans to combine its Salisbury and Greensboro distribution operations into the new facility.
In December, a Vietnamese manufacturer also chose Salisbury as its first expansion site in the U.S. Ever Home Plastics LLC, a subsidiary of Vacane Home Concepts Inc., plans to invest $3.65 million in the city and create 46 jobs over four years. It’s located at 7401 Statesville Blvd.
Last fall, the iconic New York City-based retailer Macy’s celebrated the grand opening of its Rowan County fulfillment center.
In 2022, Macy’s said it would invest $584 million in the facility, creating 2,800 workers in China Grove. But in 2024, the company said it would invest $640 million into the project and create over 1,300 jobs. In April, The N.C. Economic Investment Committee on Tuesday approved extending Macy’s state tax incentives goals, after missing the promised 116 job target.
Founded in 1977, the Pennsylvania-based apparel retailer operates 1,170 stores including American Eagle, Aerie, OFFL/NE by Aerie, Todd Snyder, and Unsubscribed. The company has distribution centers in Hazleton, Phoenix, and Mississauga, Ontario.
American Eagle Outfitters reported record revenue growth of $1.2 billion, up 10%, in its first quarter.
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This story was originally published July 17, 2026 at 11:07 AM.
