The $27 billion State Employees' Credit Union is taking buying local statewide with the purchase of 8,000 computers for its 253 branches and five operations centers across North Carolina.
The energy-efficient units are all being assembled at Lenovo's operations facility in Whitsett, N.C., and having a base in SECU's home state was an important factor in deciding to do business with the computer manufacturer, SECU said in its announcement on Monday.
"Contracting with companies that have a base where members live and work is extremely important because of the positive benefits to North Carolina's workforce and the local economy. Additionally, the Lenovo PCs exceed ENERGY STAR specifications, providing greater efficiency and long-term cost savings for the credit union," Fred Hill, SVP of information services engineering at the 1.9 million-member SECU, said in the announcement.
The Whitsett site, which manufactures Think brand computers, created 115 manufacturing jobs when it opened last June as the multinational corporation's first U.S. PC production facility, the company said. More than 2,220 people work at Lenovo's North American headquarters in Morrisville, N.C., it said.
"State Employees' Credit Union and Lenovo share a vested interest in improving the local economy in North Carolina and we are pleased to provide assembly for the SECU desktops in the Whitsett facility," Tom Looney, Lenovo's vice president and general manager for North America, said in the announcement.
Beijing-based Lenovo acquired IBM's personal computer manufacturing operations, including the ThinkPad, in 2005.
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