GASTON COUNTY, N.C. -- Gov. Roy Cooper announced that Sonic Automotive will be opening a marketing resource and customer contact center in Gaston County, creating 500 jobs.

“Fortune 500 companies like Sonic have many choices when searching for a new location,” said Gov. Cooper. “I’m pleased that North Carolina’s strengths—including our outstanding workforce and commitment to workforce training—are paying off once again.”

The company operates more than 100 new vehicle sales-franchises in 13 different states. Their corporate headquarters is located in Charlotte.

"North Carolina remains our home,” said David B. Smith, CEO of Sonic Automotive. “We are excited to expand our marketing and contact center operations for Sonic Automotive and Echo Park Automotive into Gaston County and appreciate the support we’ve received from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, City of Lowell, and Gaston County for these expansion efforts.”

The project is expected to grow the state's economy by an estimated $518 million.