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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Denmark-Based Maersk Expands Charlotte, North Carolina, Operations

11/23/2025
Denmark-based global integrated logistics company Maersk plans to expand its operations in Charlotte, North Carolina. The $16 million project is expected to create 520 jobs in Mecklenburg County.

The company’s new North American headquarters will house corporate functions, including finance, human resources, commercial strategy, and technology.

“North Carolina has been a key partner in our growth for more than two decades, “ said Charles van der Steene, President ? North America Region at Maersk. “Designating Charlotte as our North American headquarters location reinforces our confidence in the state’s business climate and workforce. We’re investing in North Carolina’s future because it’s a place where innovation and opportunity come together.”

The project will be supported, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $1.5 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs and capital investment, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $7,946,250, spread over 12 years. State payments occur only following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.

The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 67 percent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost to the state, the state receives $1.67 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

Because Maersk chose a location in Mecklenburg County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving $2,648,750 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Mecklenburg, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps more economically challenged communities elsewhere in the state.

“North Carolina is honored that Maersk has chosen us to anchor their North American operations. Charlotte’s getting a second major headquarters in as many weeks, which reflects the depth of talent and quality of life of the Queen City,” noted N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “We look forward to supporting Maersk’s growth in the years ahead.”

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, N.C. Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

Maersk, a subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk, specializes in integrated logistics solutions that include ocean and inland transportation, warehousing, customs services and digital logistics platforms.

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