Thermal management company Modine plans to expand its existing factory in Rockbridge County, Virginia.

The company expects to invest $18.1 million on the site, and create 211 new jobs.

“Virginia is a world leader in the data center industry, and we are proud to contribute to the industry’s growth here,” Rob Bedard, general manager of data centers North America at Modine, said.

“This new investment in our Rockbridge plant shows our commitment to support the region and enhances our position to offer a full range of cooling solutions to serve North America data center customers through our Airedale by Modine brand.”

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin approved a $470,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Rockbridge County with this project.

“Virginia continues to be the epicenter for the data center industry, which makes it the perfect location for Modine to expand manufacturing capacity," Youngkin said. “Modine’s increased production of data center cooling equipment will meet the growing demand of this vital sector in the Commonwealth while creating high-quality 21st-century jobs.”

The Virginia Talent Accelerator Program will help find the new hires - the initiative was created by VEDP in collaboration with the Virginia Community College System and other higher education partners.

Modine has more than 11,000 employees around the world.