North Carolina’s central location, skilled workforce, pro-business environment, and existing industry strength make it a top destination for food manufacturing and processing companies.
3437 East Main Street, Claremont, NC 28610
170 Wind Chime Court, Raleigh, NC
110 South Industrial Drive, Nashville, NC 27856
288 Mazeppa Road, Mooresville, NC
110 Sara Lee Road, Tarboro, NC
2120 North Carolina Highway 71 North, Maxton
4641 Paragon Park Road, Raleigh, NC
360 Northbrook Drive, Youngsville, NC
1413 Jake Alexander Boulevard South, Salisbury, NC 28146
36 Clayton Road, Arden, NC
280 1st Avenue Northwest, Hickory, NC
3710 Doctor M.L.K. Jr Blvd, New Bern, NC
8200 Capital Drive, Greensboro, NC
8200 Shotwell Road, Clayton, NC
801 Black Satchel Drive, Charlotte, NC
2516 West Pine Street, Mount Airy, NC
652 Nuway Circle, Lenoir, NC
5151 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC
806 Rivit Street, Greenville, NC
110 Sara Lee Road, Tarboro, NC
1450 Vantage Foods Court, Lenoir, NC
3427 Industrial Drive, Durham, NC
370 Knollwood Street, Winston-Salem, NC
4391 Wilson Road, Mebane, NC
One Cucumber Blvd, Mount Olive, NC
21 Craven Street, Asheville, NC
178 Mooresville Boulevard, Mooresville, NC
222 Industrial Boulevard, Whiteville, NC
342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard, NC
314 Mooresville Boulevard, Mooresville, NC
402 Commerce Court, Goldsboro, NC
862 Harris Street Northwest, Concord, NC
242 Perdue Road, Cofield, NC
9266 Revell Rd, Kenly, NC
105 Greenwood Circle, Elkin, NC
2925 Armentrout Drive, Concord, NC
484 Zimmerman Road, Sanford, NC
401 North Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC
300 Concord Parkway South, Concord, NC
4985 U.S. 70, Kinston, NC
100 Sierra Nevada Way, Fletcher, NC
15855 NC-87, Tar Heel, NC
1053 Shotwell Road, Clayton, NC
1780 Smithfield Way, Kinston, NC
424 East Railroad Street, Clinton, NC
2401 Wilco Boulevard, Wilson, NC
13024 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Charlotte, NC
4500 Corporate Drive Northwest, Concord, NC
636 W 4th St, Winston-Salem, NC
4045 Indiana Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC
800 East Main Street, Sanford, NC
350 North Bivens Road, Monroe, NC
179 Roaring River Road, Roaring River, NC
1600 River Street, Wilkesboro, NC
656 Little Duncan Road, Wadesboro, NC
1309 Industrial Drive, Fayetteville, NC
469 Yellowcut Road, Rose Hill, NC
1 Wright Way, Troy, NC
500 Valley Forge Road, Hillsborough, NC
North Carolina consistently ranks as a top state for business due to its strong labor force, centralized location and low taxes. In fact, Forbes rated North Carolina the No. 2 Best State for Business in 2016.
At 3 percent, North Carolina has the lowest corporate income tax rate in the United States. In fact, North Carolina offers a low tax burden across the board. Ernst & Young and the Council on State Taxation rank North Carolina No. 1 for lowest state and local tax burden in the U.S.
North Carolina’s 960+ establishment food and beverage manufacturing industry enjoys convenient access to local and regional suppliers. The industry includes a variety of thriving clusters, including agriculture, the second-largest animal processing and manufacturing cluster, and the sixth-fastest growing confectionary production cluster.
100 million people live within a day’s drive of North Carolina. The state’s robust transportation infrastructure connects food manufacturing companies to domestic and international markets. In addition to an extensive road and rail system, the state is also home to four conveniently located international airports and two deep-water seaports.
North Carolina’s average industrial electricity rates run more than 8 percent less than the U.S. average.
Average construction costs in North Carolina’s metropolitan areas are 18 percent below national average.
North Carolina has the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast with more than 460,000 workers. More than 62,500 North Carolinians work in the state’s food and beverage manufacturing industry.
NCWorks is a comprehensive workforce development program that includes an online jobs database for talent recruiters and job seekers alike. NCWorks also features a customized training program for new and existing businesses in the state.
North Carolina State University, including the College of Agriculture and Life Science, houses 19 different departments that focus on various specialties within the agricultural fields. North Carolina A&T State University, including the Center for Environmental Farming, offers relevant programs in livestock production, horticulture, sustainable agriculture and agroforestry.
North Carolina’s 58-campus, nationally recognized community college system educates the state’s food manufacturing workforce through industry-relevant programs such as food science and technology, foodservice technology, applied animal science technology and horticulture technology.
Established in 2014, North Carolina’s Food Manufacturing Task Force works to expand agriculture-based businesses through food processing and manufacturing. The initiative is part of Governor McCrory’s efforts to diversify and add value to North Carolina’s food manufacturing industry. The task force recruits, supports and fosters growth within the industry.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) operates research and support facilities across the state. The organization provides agribusiness development services for food-related businesses, including initiatives such as “Got to Be NC,” a marketing program meant to increase visibility of North Carolina products.
Through the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University support agricultural extension services across the state. Agricultural specialists assist with in-field research and provide educational programs and research-based information to both the agricultural community and the general public.
The Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies (CEPHT) fosters interdisciplinary research in post-harvest technologies such as functional food R&D, shelf-life extension, food packaging and food process engineering.
The Entrepreneurial Initiative for Food (ei4F) program works with small business owners and prospective entrepreneurs to manufacture and process quality food products safely. Ei4F partners with shared-use commercial kitchens, food incubators and private sector co-packers.
The North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) is a public-private partnership between corporations, universities and health care organizations to conduct research and product development at the intersection of human health, nutrition and agriculture.
The EDPNC helps businesses large and small succeed in North Carolina. We recruit new businesses to the state, support the growth of existing NC businesses, help manufacturers sell into international markets, provide startup assistance to entrepreneurs, and market the state as a premier travel destination. For assistance, fill out the form below and a member of our team will follow up with you as soon as possible.
If you are looking for help with questions about starting a new business in North Carolina, contact the Business Link North Carolina (BLNC) team.
