Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Mountaire Farms Inc., an international supplier of processed chicken and chicken products, will expand in Robeson County. The company will invest $17.9 million and create 51 jobs in the next three years. The announcement was made possible in part by a $150,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“Creating jobs is my top priority. Helping successful companies to grow jobs and make critical investment in our communities is vital,” said Gov. Perdue. “Our state’s top-rate business climate and skilled workers are attracting businesses looking for the perfect location to expand and succeed.”
Mountaire Farms Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mountaire Corp. in Arkansas. The company is a fully integrated operation that produces eggs through contract breeders, operates hatcheries in Maryland, Delaware and North Carolina, grows chickens through contract growers and runs its own feed mills. Mountaire Farms also processes, packages and distributes its products to retail, food services and institutional customers in more than 40 countries.
The company employs more than 2,400 workers in North Carolina, including operations in Chatham, Iredell, Montgomery, Robeson and Stanly counties. The company plans to increase production at its Lumber Bridge processing plant by adding cold freezer storage space. While wages will vary by job function, the new jobs will pay an average annual wage of $27,553, not including benefits, which exceeds the Robeson County average annual wage of $25,948.
“With help from the state, Robeson County and many others, expanding operations in N.C. will provide us with the most cost-effective means of expanding production, improving logistics throughout our value chain and growing our position as a globally competitive food producer,” said Scott Varner, director of operations for Mountaire in N.C. “Our N.C. complex is one of the largest in the nation. The plant in Lumber Bridge processes over 100 million chickens and produces over 780 million pounds of chicken products per year. By locating the new facility in N.C., we can take advantage of product-freezing technology to increase the quality of Mountaire’s export products.”
The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.
“During these tough economic times, it’s critical to make the investments we need to grow jobs in Robeson County and that will allow companies to grow and thrive,” said Sen. Michael Walters.
“Our skilled workers continue to attract companies that want to expand and relocate to North Carolina,” said Rep. Ronnie Sutton. “These jobs are welcome news for Robeson County.”
North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state will work aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain our workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.
Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 40,000 jobs and $7 billion in investment have been created since 2001. Other project partners include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Department of Transportation, Robeson County, Progress Energy and Red Springs & Northern Railroad.
For more information on Mountaire Farms, including job opportunities with the company, go to: http://www.mountaire.com/