The project, made possible in part by One North Carolina Fund and Job Development Investment Grant awards, will create 270 jobs and a private investment of $31 million during the next four years.

Wages for the new jobs will vary by skill and job description, but the overall average pay for will be around $30,276 a year plus benefits, which is more than the county wage standard of $28,496 not including benefits, according to Easley’s office.

Founded in 1997, Force Protection is a publicly traded corporation based in Ladson, S.C. To meet the increase in demand for its vehicles, the company will move into a former Collins & Aikman plant just north Roxboro. It will be the firm’s second manufacturing facility and its first plant in North Carolina.

Force Protection plans to use the Person County facility for additional capacity for current and future products, including its new “Cheetah” vehicle line. This vehicle combines state-of-the-art, anti-blast protection with the speed and handling of a lightweight utility vehicle.

The company has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the state’s One North Carolina Fund. The One North Carolina Fund assists the state in industry recruitment and expansion by providing financial assistance through local governments to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs. One North Carolina Fund grants are contingent upon local matches. Through the use of this Fund, more than 20,000 jobs and $3.5 billion in investment have been created since 2001.

In addition, the state’s Economic Investment Committee voted Thursday to award a Job Development Investment Grant to facilitate this project. This is the 62nd grant awarded since the program began in 2003 and the seventh awarded this year.