Cree, the LED lighting company based in Durham, will host President Barack Obama on Monday, the White House announced today.
Obama will tour the company and make remarks to workers at Cree. He also will meet with his new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, which he appointed this winter. The council is made up of private-sector industry leaders.
Part of Monday’s discussion during Obama's visit to the Triangle will revolve around manufacturing, said Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, earlier this week.
White House spokesman Adam Abrams said this morning that Obama and the council will discuss initiatives and policies to spur economic growth, promote job creation and accelerate hiring across the nation.
Obama’s trip comes after disappointing news on the jobs front. The nation’s unemployment rate was 8.7 percent in May. The economy added 54,000 jobs in May, the lowest number in eight months.
Cree manufactures energy-efficient LED lighting and LEDs used in a wide range of other products. The company has become a darling of politicians, who tout it as an example of a green business expanding its U.S. workforce.
Vice President Joe Biden visited Cree in March 2010. In September, U.S. Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr stopped by with Gov. Bev Perdue as Cree announced plans for a $135 million expansion that will add 244 jobs during the next two years.
