Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Pierre Foods Inc., a national producer of high-quality, fully cooked meats and frozen sandwiches, will expand in Catawba County. The company plans to create 500 jobs and invest $16.8 million during the next three years in Claremont and retain more than 700 existing jobs at its facility there. The announcement was made possible in part by a $600,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“I am committed to creating new jobs for North Carolina and retaining the jobs we have in our state,” said Gov. Perdue. “Companies like Pierre Foods know they can build on their hard-won success with North Carolina’s skilled workers and top business climate.”
Pierre Foods, Inc., headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a world-class food manufacturer that uses high-quality, USDA-inspected meats and hearth-baked breads to produce a wide variety of frozen sandwiches and other handheld products for schools, food service, retail, vending and convenience store markets. The company has manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Georgia, South Carolina and in Claremont, where it employs more than 700 workers.
Through support from the One NC Fund, the company will retain the Claremont facility and its 700 workers and expand production by 500 new jobs to handle market growth in the Southeast and Midwest. Although wages will vary by job function, the new jobs will pay an annual average salary of $26,467.
"Pierre Foods is thrilled at this opportunity to support both growth in our business and economic activity in the state of North Carolina,” said Bill Toler, CEO of Pierre Foods. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the state and thank all of our dedicated employees within the region for their contributions to our success.”
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.
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 its 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. Community Colleges, Catawba County, City of Claremont and Duke Energy.
For more information on Pierre Foods Inc., including job opportunities with the company, go to: www.pierrefoods.com.