M.C. Dean plans $412.5M Caroline expansion, 1,950 jobs
M.C. Dean plans to invest $412.5 million to expand its modular manufacturing campus in Caroline County, creating 1,950 jobs, but the plan still needs county hearings and General Assembly approval of state support.
M.C. Dean, the Tysons-based power and technology engineering firm, plans to invest $412.5 million to expand its Modular Mission Critical manufacturing campus in Caroline County and create 1,950 jobs. Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced the project on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The plan calls for two new manufacturing buildings: a 442,000-square-foot building on the existing main campus and a 1.5-million-square-foot building on the company's 600-acre north campus. With the expansion, the company's land holdings in the county would reach 1,300 acres, and total campus space would top 3.6 million square feet by 2030.
The campus designs, builds and commissions power, mechanical, communications, automation, security and life safety systems for manufacturing, technology, health care, transportation and federal customers. CEO Bill Dean said the company will deliver one large power module every 30 minutes this year. The new buildings will use industrial machinery, automation and robotics.
Virginia will support the project with up to $45 million, approved by the Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission and subject to approval by the General Assembly, which convenes in January.
The expansion also needs local approval. Caroline supervisor Floyd Thomas said it must go through the county's special exception permit process, which includes two public hearings. No hearing dates have been announced. Separately, a Power Systems Training Center tied to M.C. Dean careers is set to open at Caroline High School in 2027.
The Caroline campus opened in 2023 as part of a three-year, $63 million expansion that created about 500 jobs. M.C. Dean, founded in Fairfax in 1949, has more than 9,000 employees and more than 40 offices worldwide.
The project would bring nearly 2,000 manufacturing jobs to a rural county between Richmond and Fredericksburg. Before it can move ahead, it still needs two county public hearings and General Assembly approval of up to $45 million in state support.
What's next
- TBD Caroline County special exception permit: two public hearings
- 2027 session General Assembly to consider up to $45 million in state support
- 2030 Campus space to exceed 3.6 million sq ft