Semprius, a semiconductor company based in Durham, will receive just shy of $18.3 million from state and local governments for building a solar cell manufacturing facility near Henderson.

The company will need to create 256 jobs over the next five years and meet other investment goals to receive the total package of grants and tax incentives. Semprius currently employs 29 people and has to keep those positions to qualify for incentives.

The manufacturing jobs will pay an average annual salary of $45,565. The average annual salary in Vance County is $30,004.

The decision to award the incentives was made this morning by the N.C. Commerce Department's Economic Investment Committee. Gov. Bev Perdue will make an official announcement about the jobs at 10 a.m. today at Vance-Granville Community  College in Henderson.