A Los Angeles-based company will invest $5.3 million to move its headquarters and research and development operations to Snow Hill, a town of about 1,500 residents and the county seat of Greene County. Judco Manufacturing expects to create 60 jobs with an average annual wage of $44,001, almost 11% more than the current average wage of $39,698 in Greene County.
Judco Manufacturing is a third-generation, family-owned company that started in 1973. The company makes electromechanical switches for the automotive industry, such as for seat adjustments, and bulb sockets for auto interior lighting. It also makes toggle switches for power tools, appliances and industry.
The company will move its corporate, engineering and production functions into a 50,000-square-foot facility at 204 Carolina Drive. That was the location of the former NWL Capacitors plant, which parent company Cornell Dubilier Electronics shut down in 2024, putting 91 people out of a job.
Trey Cash
Greene County has an unemployment rate of 3.6% and a labor force of about 8,550 workers, according to state records. These jobs and the investment will make a difference, says Trey Cash, Economic Development director for Greene and Lenoir counties.
“When a company from outside North Carolina chooses Greene County and the NC Global TransPark Economic Development Region, it tells the story of what makes eastern North Carolina special,” says the Greene County native. “We have good, hard-working people who take pride in their work and in their community.”
Greene County’s location between Interstate 95 and I-587 and an hour’s drive from Raleigh helps the small community, says Cash. It also benefits from being about 25 miles southwest of Greenville’s East Carolina University, which has a top designation as a research university.
“Relocating Judco Manufacturing’s headquarters and R&D operations to Greene County is a major milestone in our company’s growth,” said Kurt George, president and CEO of Judco Manufacturing, in a release. “North Carolina offers the right combination of workforce, infrastructure, and business climate to help us innovate and stay competitive in a rapidly changing automotive market. We are proud to invest here and look forward to building a long-term partnership with the community.”
Judco has an office in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Harbor City and a manufacturing facility in Mexicali, Mexico. Company officials could not be reached for additional comment.
A performance-based grant of $125,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help the company locate in North Carolina. Judco will receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All OneNC grants also require matching grants from local governments.
