Dec. 18. Cataler North America, a major manufacturer of catalysts for automobiles and engines, will spend $42 million on a new manufacturing plant in Hickory, creating 151 jobs.

Cataler North America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Cataler Corp., a Japanese-based firm that operates seven plants across the globe. Cataler North America, established in 2002, is located in Lincolnton where it has a 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility. The company currently employs 378 people in North Carolina.

Payroll at the new plant, also 100,000 square feet, will be about $7 million a year.

The NC Department of Commerce led the state’s support for the company during its site evaluation and decision-making process.

The Cataler project will be facilitated, 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 the grant, the project will add an estimated $414 million to North Carolina’s economy.