Advance Auto Parts to Create 600 Jobs in Raleigh with Incentive Package

Advance Auto Parts won an incentive package totaling $17.4 million last week by the state of North Carolina. At the time, Governor Pat McCrory’s administration touted the plan by the company to create 600 new jobs in the city of Raleigh as part of the investment, according to NewsObserver.com.

The issue that has come from the incentive package is the fact that the company never said some of the 600 planned jobs might turn out to be employees who already work for General Parts International, which Advance Auto Parts acquired earlier in 2014 for $2.04 billion. The company also failed to disclose the fact that some employees from General Parts could lose their jobs due to corporate restructuring or provided with a relocation option to Roanoke, Virginia.

When General Parts was purchased it had 500 employees in Raleigh. It operates some 1,400 Carquest stores.

“Some of those team members in that 500, some of their functions are moving to Roanoke,” said Shelly Whitaker, an Advance Auto spokeswoman told NewsObserver.com. “Some of their functions will be part of that 600 as we hope to retain those team members. And then some we may not.”

Whitaker also said that it was unknown how many of the 600 new jobs in the city will be filled by employees of General Parts.

“We won’t have General Parts employees anymore,” Whitaker said. “We’ll have 600 Advance team members.”

The $17.4 million will be presented to Advance Auto Parts over the span of 12 years if it meets hiring targets and invest $5 million or more in the city.

Kim Gernardo, a state Commerce Department spokeswoman, told NewsObserver.com the following in an email:

“General Parts employees are welcome to apply for jobs with Advance Auto. The new positions in Raleigh will have new responsibilities and different levels of compensation depending on the job responsibility.”

Employees from General Parts who are laid off will be offered severance packages, according to Whitaker. She also noted that the company’s goal is to have all the employees from the same department working in the same location. The office for Advance Auto Parts in Minneapolis will close its doors as part of the restructuring. There are some 100 people employed at the Minneapolis office.

“Those team members, depending on function, have the opportunity to relocate to Roanoke or Raleigh,” Whitaker said.

The company expects the restructuring process to be completed within 12 to 16 months. The center in Raleigh will house the company’s corporate leadership. The president, chief executive officer and chief financial officer are all moving there from Roanoke.

Keep checking here for updated Advance Auto Parts jobs in Raleigh NC.