(RALEIGH) -- One of the largest designers and manufacturers of solar power mounting systems plans to bring its corporate headquarters and additional production and distribution facilities to Cleveland County.  Schletter, Inc. will create 305 jobs in Shelby by the end of 2016, and invest more than $27 million in the project.

Gov. Bev Perdue's office confirmed that Schletter is eligible for a state grant that could yield as much as $2.93 million for the company. 

“Companies like Schletter recognize that North Carolina is a great place for businesses to thrive because of our top-notch business climate and incredibly well-trained workforce,” said Gov. Perdue. “We’re going to continue leveraging North Carolina’s tremendous assets as we keep working to expand jobs here.”

“The decision to locate a manufacturing facility in North Carolina was primarily based on providing improved services for our East Coast customers; faster delivery of our products, and reduced logistics costs,” said Ludwig Schletter, owner of the Schletter Corporation.

The new facility in Shelby will produce the company’s eight types of solar mounting systems.