A $100 Million Bet on Henderson County Is Bigger Than It Looks

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By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  June 1, 2026

A $100 million manufacturing expansion just landed in Henderson County, and the effects go further than the facility itself.

Henderson County, located along I-26 about 25 miles south of Asheville, is home to a BorgWarner facility that the global propulsion technology company announced this week it will significantly expand. BorgWarner builds advanced systems for electric and hybrid vehicles and has become a major supplier as automakers move away from combustion engines. The $100 million investment is one of the larger single-site commitments Western North Carolina has seen in recent years.

What does BorgWarner actually make, and why does it matter?

BorgWarner is a Fortune 500 company with operations across dozens of countries. It produces the components that go inside electric vehicles: motors, inverters, charging systems, and thermal management parts. As automakers move away from combustion engines, suppliers like BorgWarner have become central to that transition. Having a major facility in Henderson County puts the region inside one of the most active parts of global manufacturing right now.

State and local officials have spent years trying to attract clean-tech and advanced manufacturing investment. This announcement is one of the bigger results of that effort. It also places Henderson County in competition with much larger metro areas that fight hard for exactly this type of investment.

How many jobs could this bring to the Hendersonville area?

BorgWarner has not released specific hiring targets tied to this expansion, but a $100 million capital investment at a manufacturing site typically drives meaningful workforce growth over a multi-year buildout. The company already employs workers in Henderson County, and expansions of this scale generally create direct hires and indirect employment at suppliers, logistics firms, and support businesses nearby.

Hendersonville has a workforce pipeline that includes Blue Ridge Community College, which serves Henderson and Transylvania counties and has established relationships with local manufacturers. That kind of infrastructure matters when a company is scaling up and needs qualified workers quickly.

Is this part of a larger economic shift happening in Western NC?

It fits a pattern that has been building for several years. Western North Carolina has traditionally been associated with tourism, agriculture, and retirement living. Those industries have not gone anywhere. But the region has increasingly attracted tech-linked businesses and employers who use the mountain setting as a selling point when recruiting skilled workers.

Henderson County benefits in particular from its position along the I-26 corridor, which connects Asheville to Spartanburg, South Carolina, and gives manufacturers efficient access to southeastern logistics networks. The county has seen consistent population growth and rising household incomes. Its commercial real estate market has drawn more warehouse and industrial development over the past several years.

An expansion of this size may also encourage related suppliers to look at the region more seriously. That is how industrial corridors tend to build over time.

What does this mean for the people who already live here?

The most direct effect is jobs. Manufacturing positions at a company with BorgWarner's profile tend to pay competitive wages with benefits that can be harder to find in service-sector work. That matters for families who want to stay in Western North Carolina rather than relocate for economic opportunity.

It also matters for the tax base. A capital investment of this size increases assessed commercial property value and adds to county revenues that fund schools and public services.

The less tangible effect is confidence. When a global company puts this kind of money into a community, it tells other businesses and people considering the area that something real is happening here. Henderson County has always had that, but this makes it harder to overlook.

Henderson County has long offered something that is genuinely hard to find: good schools, outdoor access, a downtown Hendersonville that has been quietly improving for years, and proximity to Asheville without Asheville prices. This kind of economic news adds to that picture in ways that younger families and working professionals will notice.

If the combination of job growth and mountain living in Western North Carolina has you thinking about a move, Jon Tharp is happy to answer questions about what that could look like.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What does BorgWarner make and why is its Henderson County expansion significant?

BorgWarner is a Fortune 500 company that manufactures propulsion components for electric and hybrid vehicles, including motors, inverters, and thermal management systems. Its Henderson County facility is part of the company's North American manufacturing network. The $100 million expansion is significant because it represents a long-term commitment to the region at a time when the EV supply chain is rapidly reshaping where manufacturing investment flows. It positions Henderson County inside one of the most dynamic sectors in global industry, alongside much larger metro areas competing for the same type of capital.

How many jobs will the BorgWarner expansion create in Hendersonville NC?

BorgWarner has not released specific job creation targets tied to this expansion as of the announcement. Capital investments of this scale at existing manufacturing facilities typically drive meaningful workforce growth over a multi-year buildout period, both in direct hiring and in positions supported at suppliers and logistics partners nearby. Henderson County already has an established manufacturing workforce and community college training infrastructure through Blue Ridge Community College, which serves employers across Henderson and Transylvania counties and has existing relationships with local manufacturers.

Is Henderson County NC a good place to live and work in manufacturing?

Henderson County offers a combination that is increasingly hard to find: access to a growing manufacturing job base alongside a high quality of life in a mountain setting. Hendersonville, the county seat, has a revitalized downtown, solid schools, and outdoor recreation close at hand. The county sits along I-26 roughly 25 miles south of Asheville, giving residents access to a larger city without the higher cost of living. For manufacturing workers, the presence of employers like BorgWarner means competitive wages in an area where housing, while rising, remains more affordable than most major metro markets.

How is manufacturing growth affecting real estate in Henderson County NC?

Manufacturing expansion tends to increase housing demand in surrounding communities as workers relocate and local employees see wage growth. Henderson County has already experienced rising home prices over the past several years, driven by remote workers, retirees, and ongoing economic development. An expansion of BorgWarner's scale could add additional pressure on inventory, particularly at affordable and mid-range price points where manufacturing workers typically buy. For buyers and sellers in the Hendersonville area, tracking major employer announcements is part of understanding where the local market is heading and why.

What other major employers are in Henderson County NC?

Henderson County has a diverse employer base that includes manufacturing, healthcare, and agriculture. Major employers in the county include Pardee Hospital, part of the UNC Health system, along with food processing and distribution companies and a range of small to mid-size manufacturers. The county's agricultural heritage, particularly its apple industry centered around Edneyville and Flat Rock, still supports employment and draws seasonal tourism. With BorgWarner's expanded footprint, the manufacturing sector is growing as a share of the county's economic base, which typically creates ripple effects across housing, retail, and local services.