Food Processing Grows Strong with
North Carolina has a long and successful track record of supporting the food and beverage sector. From workforce training to consulting services, powerful resources exist to support continued growth of this important industry.
Our deep experience and trusted relationships can help you find the right community and site for your growth needs.
Every public power community in NC has its own local flavor, but they all share common traits: a track record of reliable energy and the flexibility to adapt to changing community and local business needs. Need other reasons why an NC public power community is a great place to plant your business?
N.C.'s Industrial Electric Rate is 10% BELOW the national average
North Carolina has the lowest corporate income tax in the United States
An education network of universities and community colleges in N.C. supports customized training for your company
More than 460,000 total manufacturing workers, largest in the Southeastern U.S.
Case Study: Food Processing is Heating up Around Rocky Mount
In the last decade or so, more and more food processing companies have set up shop in eastern North Carolina. According to data from the Carolinas Gateway Partnership, an agency dedicated to economic development in Nash and Edgecombe counties, at least a dozen food processing companies are located within a 30-mile radius of Rocky Mount. The agency notes several factors that contribute to this clustering, including the excellent highway system, business-friendly tax rates, and attractive incentives from state and local governments and from the Golden Leaf Foundation. But the reasons most often cited? The area’s convenient central East Coast location and its motivated and talented workforce.
For Belgium-based Poppies International, those factors, as well as reliable electric service, have helped drive the company’s success in its U.S. headquarters in Rocky Mount for the past 17 years. Poppies International ships its frozen cream puffs and mini éclairs to buyers across the United States, Canada, and Asia. Its location in Rocky Mount’s Whitaker Business & Industry Center means easy access to Interstate 95 and U.S. Highway 64, as well as proximity to the Port of Norfolk.
With Poppies’ automated production systems, refrigeration requirements, and round-the-clock operation, reliable electric service is critical. The company worked with Rocky Mount Public Utilities to install a generator that not only serves as emergency back-up power, it switches on at times of peak electricity use to help reduce the cost. Poppies’ controller, Bobby Davis, says, “We’re very happy with the reliability of power and water and for the responsive customer service we get from the City of Rocky Mount.”
Smart Sites® and Shell Buildings
Critical production demands can’t always wait on a lengthy construction project. We created the Smart Sites® program to offer more shovel-ready property for economic development growth in our member communities. The valuable due diligence included in our program assists site selectors in making informed, intelligent choices. In short, the Smart Sites® program simplifies the process for consultants and companies and minimizes risk to them.
Looking for a move-in ready manufacturing space? Many of our member communities have shell industrial buildings that may suit your needs. Below are just a few of our many available Smart Sites® and Shell Buildings.
Connect with us for additional information on these and other available properties.
Additional Key Industries within Public Power Communities
The plastics and composites industry remains one of the strongest components of North Carolina’s diverse manufacturing sector.
From research-driven start-ups to global giants, more than 600 biotech companies call North Carolina home.
The Information Technology industry is easily one of the fastest growing segments of North Carolina’s economy. More than 18,000 technology businesses operate in the state, and collectively employ almost 250,000 people.