Cummins announces $580 million investment plan for Rocky Mount engine plant

The investment is expected to generate approximately 80 new jobs, fostering short-term employment opportunities and long-term job stability. In addition, the investment will involve installing new equipment for the future of manufacturing and upgrading the assembly line for next-generation products.

Plant Manager Steve Pinkston said the investment is needed.

"It’s a long-time coming," Pinkston said. "We’ve been here for 40 years."

The plan came together after Cummins received approval for tax incentives from Nash County to help move the project forward. An estimated $7 million will be reimbursed to Cummins between 2026 and 2032.

Nash County Director of Economic Development Andy Hagy called the investment a win for Nash County.

"It’s a stamp of approval from one of our largest employers that they like it here, they are growing here, they are profiting here, and they are investing here,” Hagy said.

Cummins Rocky Mount currently employs about 2,000 people from across eastern North Carolina.

"This is one of the single-largest investments Cummins ever made. It is really a commitment to the location, to our products, to our employees, and to the region," Pinkston said.

Data from the Carolina’s Gateway Partnership shows Nash County has an unemployment rate of 4.3-percent and Edgecombe County has a rate of 5.2-percent.

"Any time there are new jobs created for eastern North Carolina, for Rocky Mount and for our Edgecombe and our Nash County residents, we think that it is a great day,” Rocky Mount City Manager Keith Rogers Jr. said.

“This investment is not just about engines; it’s a testament to our unwavering commitment to the community and our vision for a sustainable and impactful future,” said Pinkston. “It means RMEP and Cummins are here to stay, and we take pride in being the one of the largest employers in the tri-county area.”

The Rocky Mount plant has been in operation since 1983.