Mooresville lures company from Davidson with help of incentives

A company in Davidson is relocating 7 miles away after the city of Mooresville and Iredell County commissioners approved $138,000 in economic incentives. Liburdi Dimetrics produces high-tech precision welding equipment. Its equipment is used in the manufacturing of products in the medical, nuclear power and automotive industries. It employs 80 people in Davidson. By the end of the year, Liburdi officials expect them to be working at an 86,000 square-foot-building in Mooresville the company is in the process of purchasing. "It wasn't just that they wanted to move from one location to another. They actually have some expansion plans and would be hiring additional folks," says Iredell County Commissioner Ken Robertson. Robertson says Liburdi made no promises were made on additional jobs. He says the company is optimistic about its future. Liburdi will get tax rebates of about $28,000 every year for five years. Davidson Mayor John Woods says his town was trying to help Liburdi find or build a facility in the Davidson area. Liburdi currently shares a 120-thousand square foot building with a charter school. Liburdi officials could not be reached for comment, but Mayor Woods says school expansion has limited Liburdi's manufacturing space. "This is one of several examples in Davidson of older manufacturing facilities being converted into other uses. To that end, that's positive. To the negative side, we are hurt by their relocation away from us, so we have very mixed feelings - kind of bittersweet feelings about this announcement," Woods says. Woods says the Community School of Davidson will be taking over most of the building. But it won't be taking over the property taxes that Liburdi paid to Mecklenburg County, which last year totaled about $56,000.