Hillsborough selected as new headquarters for French tech company

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Governor Stein announced Wednesday that CITEL America, Inc. is relocating to Hillsborough, creating 57 jobs in Orange County.

According to a news release, CITEL America, Inc., a French Industrial Manufacturer, is delivering breakthrough solutions for surge protection worldwide. This also includes key trends in data centers, renewable energy, industrial automation, telecommunications, and transportation.

The company will invest $12.5 million to relocate its North American operations to Hillsborough.

"North Carolina is on the rise, and companies like CITEL are taking notice. With our world-class workforce and collaborative 'Team North Carolina' approach to economic development, we're proud to welcome these new jobs to Orange County and are confident CITEL will find great success here," Governor Josh Stein said.

The new 82,900-square-foot facility will hold space for administration, manufacturing, engineering, and sales and marketing operations, the news release said.

"The new Hillsborough headquarters represents CITEL's most significant U.S. investment to date and reaffirms our long-term commitment to serving the North American market," Henri Guichard, the president of CITEL Group, said.

The annual average salary for the new positions will be over $83,600, surpassing the average wage in Orange County of $69,728.

"This is a big win for Hillsborough. CITEL's decision to relocate from Florida to Hillsborough is a powerful endorsement of our community. These new jobs will strengthen our local community and create meaningful opportunities for families across Orange County," N.C. Senator Graig Meyer said.

The new jobs could potentially create an annual payroll impact of over $4.7 million to Hillsborough.

SEE: Apple gets more time to meet required NC hiring, investment goals for RTP hub: 'Slower going'