North Carolina has the best ingredients for business success.
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.
Food Processing & Manufacturing Companies in North Carolina
AdvancePierre Foods
3437 East Main Street, Claremont, NC 28610
Apple Gold
170 Wind Chime Court, Raleigh, NC
Atlantic Natural Foods
110 South Industrial Drive, Nashville, NC 27856
BestCo
288 Mazeppa Road, Mooresville, NC
Bimbo Bakeries USA
110 Sara Lee Road, Tarboro, NC
Butterball
Campbell Soup Company
2120 North Carolina Highway 71 North, Maxton
Captive-Aire Systems
4641 Paragon Park Road, Raleigh, NC
Captive-Aire Systems
360 Northbrook Drive, Youngsville, NC
Cheerwine
1413 Jake Alexander Boulevard South, Salisbury, NC 28146
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
36 Clayton Road, Arden, NC
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
280 1st Avenue Northwest, Hickory, NC
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
3710 Doctor M.L.K. Jr Blvd, New Bern, NC
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
8200 Capital Drive, Greensboro, NC
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
8200 Shotwell Road, Clayton, NC
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
801 Black Satchel Drive, Charlotte, NC
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
2516 West Pine Street, Mount Airy, NC
Flavor Sciences
652 Nuway Circle, Lenoir, NC
Golden Corral Corp.
5151 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC
Harmony House Foods
806 Rivit Street, Greenville, NC
Highland Brewing Co.
Hillshire Brand Foods
110 Sara Lee Road, Tarboro, NC
JBS Case Ready
1450 Vantage Foods Court, Lenoir, NC
Horner International
3427 Industrial Drive, Durham, NC
Krispy Kreme
370 Knollwood Street, Winston-Salem, NC
Morinaga America Foods
4391 Ben Wilson Road, Mebane, NC
Mount Olive Pickle Company
One Cucumber Blvd, Mount Olive, NC
New Belgium
21 Craven Street, Asheville, NC
Niagara Bottling
178 Mooresville Boulevard, Mooresville, NC
Nice Blends Corp.
222 Industrial Boulevard, Whiteville, NC
Oskar Blues
342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard, NC
Pactiv
314 Mooresville Boulevard, Mooresville, NC
Pate Dawson Co.
402 Commerce Court, Goldsboro, NC
Perdue Farms
862 Harris Street Northwest, Concord, NC
Perdue Farms
242 Perdue Road, Cofield, NC
Perdue Farms
9266 Revell Rd, Kenly, NC
Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms
105 Greenwood Circle, Elkin, NC
Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation
2925 Armentrout Drive, Concord, NC
Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation
Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation
484 Zimmerman Road, Sanford, NC
R.J. Reynolds
401 North Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC
S&D Coffee
300 Concord Parkway South, Concord, NC
Sanderson Farms
4985 U.S. 70, Kinston, NC
Sierra Nevada
100 Sierra Nevada Way, Fletcher, NC
Smithfield Packing Co.
15855 NC-87, Tar Heel, NC
Smithfield Packing Co.
1053 Shotwell Road, Clayton, NC
Smithfield Packing Co.
1780 Smithfield Way, Kinston, NC
Smithfield Packing Co.
424 East Railroad Street, Clinton, NC
Smithfield Packing Co.
2401 Wilco Boulevard, Wilson, NC
Snyder’s-Lance
13024 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Charlotte, NC
Sysco Charlotte
4500 Corporate Drive Northwest, Concord, NC
Texas Pete
636 W 4th St, Winston-Salem, NC
TW Garner Food Company
4045 Indiana Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC
Tyson Foods
800 East Main Street, Sanford, NC
Tyson Foods
350 North Bivens Road, Monroe, NC
Tyson Foods
179 Roaring River Road, Roaring River, NC
Tyson Foods
1600 River Street, Wilkesboro, NC
Valley Proteins
656 Little Duncan Road, Wadesboro, NC
Valley Proteins
1309 Industrial Drive, Fayetteville, NC
Valley Proteins
469 Yellowcut Road, Rose Hill, NC
Wright Foods
1 Wright Way, Troy, NC
Seal the Seasons
500 Valley Forge Road, Hillsborough, NC
Competitive Advantages
Business-Friendly Environment
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.
Low Tax Burden
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.
Proximity to Suppliers
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.
Proximity to Customers
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.
Low Electricity Costs
North Carolina’s average industrial electricity rates run more than 8 percent less than the U.S. average.
Low Construction Costs
Average construction costs in North Carolina’s metropolitan areas are 18 percent below national average.
Workforce
62,500+ Employees
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 Customized Training Program
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 University System
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 Community College System
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.
Research Infrastructure
North Carolina Food Manufacturing Task Force
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.
North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
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.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
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.
N.C. A&T University’s Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies
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.
N.C. State University’s Entrepreneurial Initiative for Food
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.
North Carolina Research Campus
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.
