What M.C. Dean's $412.5 Million Expansion and 1,950 Planned Jobs Mean for Caroline County Workers

M.C. Dean, a power and technology engineering firm, will invest $412.5 million to expand production at its Modular Mission Critical manufacturing campus in Caroline County, and the investment will create 1,950 new jobs in the region. Governor Abigail Spanberger made the plan public on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The jobs are a projection, and the expansion still needs a special exception permit and a state incentive that is subject to approval by the General Assembly. For Metaintro readers who live within driving distance of Ruther Glen, this guide covers what the campus builds, what the new buildings add, which roles are listed on the company's job board, what two listings on the board paid, and how the in-person hiring events work.

What Exactly Did Virginia Announce on October 13?

The headline numbers are an investment of $412.5 million and 1,950 new jobs at the Caroline County campus. The firm is proposing the investment, and the plan still needs local and state approvals.

The plan includes two new manufacturing buildings. One is a 442,000-square-foot building on the main campus, and the other is a 1.5 million-square-foot building on the 600-acre north campus.

When the work is done, the company will have more than 3.6 million square feet on 1,300 acres by 2030. The state calls the result the largest modular manufacturing campus in the United States.

The new buildings will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology for advanced manufacturing including industrial machinery, automation, and robotics. No construction start date, hiring schedule or year-by-year job count is given in the state release or the Virginia Business report.

Is It 1,950 Jobs or 2,000 Jobs?

The precise figure is a projected 1,950 jobs. The investment will create 1,950 new jobs in the region for Virginians, and Senator L. Louise Lucas, chair of the Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission, used the same number in her statement that the expansion will create 1,950 new jobs and bring $412.5 million in new investment to the Commonwealth.

The rounder number comes from the quotes and headlines. The governor's own quote speaks of creating nearly 2,000 new jobs for Virginians, and one TV headline rounds it up to add 2,000 new jobs. Both describe the same plan.

What Does the Caroline County Campus Actually Make?

The campus is the home of M.C. Dean's complex, modular product line for datacenters and critical infrastructure, and it sits just north of Richmond, VA.

The firm's portfolio covers complex power, mechanical, communications, automation, security, and life safety solutions, which are designed, integrated, manufactured, and commissioned at the campus. It serves high-growth markets worldwide, including manufacturing, technology, healthcare, transportation, and federal customers.

The work done at the campus is meant to expedite digital infrastructure and capital projects, and the firm has invested hundreds of millions in the region, scaling production capacity to meet growing customer demand.

Chief executive Bill Dean said the company is poised to deliver one large power module every 30 minutes this year.

We are proud of our growth in Virginia, establishing the nation's No. 1 at-scale modular manufacturing facility based on production right here in Caroline County, CEO Bill Dean said in a statement.

How Big Is M.C. Dean, and How Has This Site Grown?

The company was founded in Fairfax in 1949 by World War II Veteran Marion C. Dean and now has more than 9,000 employees. It keeps its headquarters in Tysons and its manufacturing hub in Caroline, and it reportedly earns more than $3 billion in annual revenue.

The Caroline site has grown in steps. The firm began developing the facility in 2003, and a 168,000-square-foot building opened in 2023 as part of a $63 million expansion, a phase the firm said added more than 500 skilled jobs to the region.

At that August 2023 opening, the firm put its total campus investment at $83 million to date, and the company was then hiring 70 additional employees at the site in the coming months for roles including facilities maintenance, electricians, technicians, security and production workers.

The 2023 building sits at 12505 Innovation Drive, Ruther Glen, Virginia, inside an industrial area known as the Caroline County Center for Innovation and Industry.

Which Jobs Are Listed for the Caroline County Campus?

The pending expansion would take the campus to more than 3.6 million square feet by 2030, and the Caroline County site already has openings on M.C. Dean's job board, including these roles.

• Assembler 1, Assembler 2 and Assembler 3
• Welder 1 and Welder 2 on the night shift
• Forklift Operator, Warehouse, Driver and Rigging Helper roles
• Crane Operator and Rigging roles, some marked Travel
• Pipe Fitter for commercial mechanical and HVAC work, plus a Manufacturing Production Leader and a Technical Training Manager

Assemblers for the production lines and engineers and designers for products and continuous improvement are named as important openings on the campus listings.

Treat the board as a snapshot. The two listings checked below do not tie their roles to the new buildings, and the state release gives no date for when the 1,950 roles will be posted.

What Did an Assembler 1 Hiring Event Listing Pay and Ask For?

An Assembler 1 hiring event listing showed a pay range of USD $21.50 /Hr. The job covers the assembly, inspection, packaging, and movement of products and materials.

The listing does not require experience. It requires a high school diploma or GED, and previous manufacturing, assembly, warehouse, production, distribution, or industrial experience preferred but not required. It also asks for basic math and measurement skills and the ability to read and follow written and verbal instructions. The listing also asks for the ability to work at heights up to 60 feet, safely use hand tools, power tools, and production equipment, have good vision (corrected vision is accepted), see in color, and hear and communicate in English, and the full list of qualifications and physical abilities is on the posting.

The listing has two day shifts assigned based on business need, 5:30 am to 4:00pm or 6 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday, with Friday to 1 pm or 2 pm, and the listing states Mandatory Overtime on Fridays for Day shifts. It adds that additional voluntary overtime is available based on business needs but is not guaranteed, and that schedules and Overtime requirements are subject to change based on business needs.

The physical side matters too. The role requires the ability to lift, carry, and move objects weighing up to 50 pounds on a regular basis, and employment is subject to a background test and drug screen.

What Does the Welder 1 Night Shift Role Pay?

The Welder 1 night shift listing on M.C. Dean's job board showed a pay range of USD $29.00 /Hr. It asks for a minimum of high school diploma or GED with 2 years of experience, or combination of equivalent experience and training, and the applicant must be able to work 2nd shift hours.

The work includes reading routine drawings, weld symbols, work packages, material requirements, and traveler steps, then preparing joints and performing routine welding, fitting, cutting, grinding, repair, and finishing operations. The role also involves showing safe setup and quality checks to Welding Helpers.

Both listings name the same benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, a 401k Retirement Plan and paid maternity leave.

How Do the In-Person Hiring Events Work?

M.C. Dean has posted hiring event listings on its job board. The Assembler 1 hiring event listing names its own date and place, so open each posting before you go.

The Assembler 1 hiring event listing carries a condition you must not miss. To qualify, the candidate must attend this hiring event in person at the location listed below.

The company hosts regular recruiting and hiring events at its manufacturing facility, technical career centers, and regional high schools, where candidates can interview and receive a same day offer for a range of roles. M.C. Dean also offers boot camp training with a combination of classroom and on-the-job training.

Interview and receive a same day offer for a range of roles supporting our fast-growing business, according to the Modular Mission Critical careers page.

What Incentives Did Virginia Offer, and What Still Needs Approval?

The state support is not final yet. The project will be supported by an investment approved by the Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission of up to $45 million, subject to approval by the General Assembly.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked on the deal with Caroline County, Virginia's Innovation Crossroads and the approval commission.

Local approval is also pending. Floyd Thomas, a Caroline supervisor for the Mattaponi District, pointed out at a board meeting that the expansion must go through the special exception permit process, including two public hearings.

How Will Virginia Help Train the New Workers?

Training support will come through the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, whose services are provided at no cost to qualified new and expanding companies as an incentive for job creation.

The program was created by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System. Before training begins, it assesses a company's recruitment processes and workforce needs, and it can offer brief training sessions and assessments that give applicants a look at the work before anyone is hired.

After hiring, training can range from safety and basic skills to detailed instruction on production processes and individual jobs, and manufacturing projects are paired with a regional community college. Since 2019, the program has supported projects representing more than 22,000 announced jobs, according to the governor's administration, but that figure does not indicate how many of those jobs have been filled.

Local schools are part of the plan too. Delegate Nicole Cole described the company as a strong partner to Caroline County Public Schools, and her statement said the expansion builds on that support by expanding skills training opportunities for our students and adult learners.

The company is also investing in a school training center, a new Power Systems Training Center coming to Caroline High School in 2027, which will offer electrical systems training and a Career and Technical Education pathway designed to give students industry-recognized instruction and a direct connection to careers with M.C. Dean.

What This Means for Caroline County Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

The 1,950 roles are a plan tied to two new manufacturing facilities, a permit process with two public hearings and a state incentive still subject to approval by the General Assembly. The jobs you can apply for are the ones posted on M.C. Dean's job board.

• Go to a hiring event. The Assembler 1 hiring event listing requires attending in person at the location listed, so check the date and place on each event listing and arrive on time.
• Check the entry requirements. The Assembler 1 hiring event listing asked for a high school diploma or GED, with manufacturing, assembly, warehouse, production, distribution, or industrial experience preferred but not required. If you have warehouse or distribution experience, put it at the top of your resume, and How to Get Machinist Certification and Advance Your Manufacturing Career covers one way to add a manufacturing credential.
• Know the pay before you go. The two listings checked paid $21.50 an hour on the Assembler 1 hiring event listing and $29.00 an hour on the Welder 1 night shift listing, and the Welder 1 role needs a high school diploma or GED with 2 years of experience, or combination of equivalent experience and training.
• Plan for the schedule. On the Assembler 1 hiring event listing, day shifts started as early as 5:30 am, and Friday overtime was mandatory on day shifts, so check your commute and childcare first.
• Build a trade skill. The Power Systems Training Center will offer electrical systems training, and How to Become an Electrician's Assistant explains one entry route into electrical work.
• Students, watch the school route. The training center at Caroline High School is due in 2027, so ask a school counselor about the Career and Technical Education pathway.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many jobs will M.C. Dean create in Caroline County?

A: The $412.5 million investment will create 1,950 new jobs in the region, and some quotes round that to nearly 2,000. The state release gives no hiring timeline.

Q: How much does M.C. Dean pay assemblers in Ruther Glen?

A: An Assembler 1 hiring event listing showed USD $21.50 /Hr., and the Welder 1 night shift listing showed USD $29.00 /Hr. Pay on other listings may differ, so open each posting.

Q: How do I apply for M.C. Dean jobs in Caroline County?

A: Openings are posted on the M.C. Dean job board, where you can filter by the Caroline County location, and M.C. Dean has also posted hiring event listings on the same board.

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