LAURINBURG — A press release this week from Scotland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Davis, local company Meritor plans to expand its operation, which is located in the Laurinburg Maxton Airport Industrial Park.

The expansion comes with a $3 million investment that will initially bring with it 22 jobs.

“This decision highlights Meritor’s belief in our workforce as it expands production in Scotland County,” Davis stated. “In addition, we continue to see the importance of existing industry and the significant impact they have on our community.”

Meritor has served Scotland County since 1981.

The press release further stated Meritor is a leading global supplier of drive-train, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets. With more than a 110-year legacy of providing innovative products that offer superior performance, efficiency and reliability, the company serves commercial truck, trailer, off-highway, defense, specialty and aftermarket customers around the world.

“Meritor would like to thank the employees at our Laurinburg facility for their hard work and dedication that allowed Meritor to expand,” said Chris Drose, site manager of Meritor. “With strong state and local government partnerships, we are well-positioned to pursue opportunities for further growth.”

Carol McCall, chair of the Scotland County Economic Development Corp., said the Meritor expansion sends a positive message throughout Scotland County.

“We thank the Meritor management team for selecting Scotland County for this expansion and we look forward to a long and positive relationship that continues to expand job opportunities in our county,” said McCall.

According to Mark Ward, the Economic Development director, projects like this help bring jobs and opportunities to Scotland County residents.

“This announcement demonstrates that our consistent hard work brings positive results for Scotland County that translates into additional opportunities for employment for the citizens of Scotland County,” Ward said. “We are pleased that Meritor continues to see our county as an important and vital partner in their strategic plans for growth.”

“This is also a reinforcement of our planned efforts to diversify our economic development approach of working with existing industry in our retention and expansion, business recruitment and entrepreneurship programs,” added Ward.

JJ Melton can be reached at [email protected].