Dell Winston-Salem Employment Surpasses 1,000; Computer Production at North Carolina Plant Tops One-Million Unit Mark

The company also announced it has shipped more than one millioncomputers from the facility, just eight months after beginningproduction. The one-millionth unit was donated to Atkins Academic andTechnology High School Principal Dan Piggott today by Mr. Dell at aceremony attended by several of the school's students and hundreds ofDell Winston-Salem employees.

Dell today also said it plans to hire additional employees laterthis year in preparation to eventually produce the company'saward-winning PowerEdge servers at the Piedmont Triad region facility.The 750,000 square-foot plant -- the company's largest -- currentlyproduces Dell's industry-leading OptiPlex and Dimension desktopsystems for U.S. East Coast business and consumer customers. Dell hasinvested more than $100 million in the facility to date.

Employment at the Winston-Salem area facility was about 350 sevenmonths ago when production began and was expected to reach about 750people in its first year of operation. Employment is now nearly 1,100people.

"There's nothing more important than exceeding our customers'expectations every time they interact with Dell. Our growth andinvestment in North Carolina, combined with the more than 2,000 salesand support people we've hired in the U.S. over the past two years,signifies our commitment to giving customers the highest qualityproducts and services for the best value in the industry," said Mr.Dell.

"The employment and production milestones Dell has achieved inthese first eight months prove that the investments North Carolinamade to bring this facility to our state are paying off," said Gov.Mike Easley. "We will continue to focus on education, worker trainingand infrastructure to strengthen our partnership with this company andothers to deliver even more jobs to hardworking North Caroliniansacross the state."

Dell's facility in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region hasresulted in several new logistics, packaging and automation firms alsolocating in the area, according to the Piedmont Triad Partnership.These related businesses are creating several hundred new jobs, inaddition to the jobs at Dell, according to the regional economicdevelopment partnership.

Dell's North Carolina plant incorporates several features thatenhance the company's quality, speed and effectiveness. At its currentrate of progress, the facility will be capable of producing a computerevery 2.5 seconds by the end of this year.

Community Involvement

Since beginning operations in the Piedmont Triad Region, Dell andits team members have provided grants, equipment and volunteer time tonumerous schools and school systems, museums, government agencies,non-profit groups and events.

Those community activities include Habitat for Humanity, Toys forTots, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk for Life and a fooddrive for the Second Harvest Food Bank. In collaboration withOperation Homelink, Dell provided 150 refurbished computers tofamilies of Fort Bragg soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Thecompany also sponsored a Winston-Salem/Forsyth County computerrecycling event that collected 45 tons of used equipment. In addition,Dell was one of the first to sponsor and participate in the NorthCarolina 21st Century Skills program to prepare young NorthCarolinians for the future.

"Dell's investment in Winston-Salem and its people hasstrengthened our region's economy and its participation in ourcommunity is a solid model for corporate citizenship," saidWinston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines. "Dell has honored all portions ofour contract and, in fact, exceeded some of the time frames containedin it."

About Dell

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