HICKORY — Goldhofer AG, a German maker of specialized heavy transport and airport ground-support equipment, announced June 30, 2026, that it will establish a North American production facility and United States headquarters at Trivium Corporate Center in Hickory, the City of Hickory said the same day.
The company plans to invest more than $20 million and create up to 80 new jobs by the end of 2030.
The city said Goldhofer’s roots trace to 1705, with formal establishment in 1946, growing from a forge into a transport-equipment maker headquartered in Memmingen, Germany. It employs about 1,000 people globally and generates annual revenues of about €300 million, with operations in Europe, North America, India, and the Middle East. Products listed include heavy-duty mechanical and self-propelled trailers and towbarless aircraft tractors used by major airlines.
The Hickory plant will be built on Lot 5 at Trivium Corporate Center, with an initial 80,000-square-foot production hall. Additional phases are anticipated.
“When we thought about where Goldhofer needs to grow in North America, North Carolina kept rising to the top. Skilled people, solid infrastructure, and a business environment that supports manufacturing. We’re committing to the US for the long haul, and Hickory is where we will start the next chapter,” Goldhofer Inc. CEO David Weinmann said.
Catawba County Board of Commissioners Chair Randy Isenhower said welcoming Goldhofer means welcoming a company with deep roots in a manufacturing tradition the community knows well, and that it joins European-headquartered firms that have invested in the county.
Hickory Mayor Hank Guess said Goldhofer’s arrival, as the project that completes Trivium Corporate Center, fulfills the vision of the 2014 Bond Referendum approved by Hickory voters. “This is exactly the kind of advanced manufacturing investment that strengthens our community and creates real opportunity for our residents, and we look forward to a long partnership,” Guess said.
Catawba County EDC Board Chair Jeff Cline called Goldhofer the world leader in specialized vehicles, from heavy industrial transport to aircraft tractors, and said the project means career opportunities that did not exist here before.
Other partners named include the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Commerce, the N.C. Community College System, Catawba Valley Community College, David E. Looper & Company, Ardurra, Parker Poe Consulting, Kohlbecker, Gray AES, Engineering Consulting Services, and the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation.
The June 30 notice does not list wage ranges, local incentive amounts, or a construction start date.
Official release from City of Hickory, June 30, 2026. https://www.hickorync.gov/german-transport-and-aviation-equipment-manufacturer-establish-first-north-american-production
