©Benestar Brands
Snack food manufacturer Benestar Brands is investing $24 million to establish a new production facility in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
According to the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, which provided details of the project, the new site will support Benestar Brands’ expansion plans into new snack categories.
Benestar Brands, the parent company of Evans Food Group, currently produces pork snacks and tortilla chips.
The planned development is also expected to provide Benestar with easier access to the nation’s east coast market, while creating 129 jobs in Cleveland County, including managerial, operational, maintenance, warehouse and office roles.
Benestar Brands’ North Carolina expansion will be facilitated by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG), approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee.
The project is estimated to grow the state’s GDP by more than $431 million over the grant’s 12-year term, and the JDIG could see Benestar reimbursed with up to $1.2 million in that timeframe.
“After an extensive search throughout the southeast, we selected Kings Mountain, North Carolina for our newest production facility based on the state’s strong support of the manufacturing industry and talented workforce,” said Carl E. Lee, Jr., CEO of Benestar Brands.
“Over the past year, our company has expanded our portfolio of innovative savoury snacks, entering new categories that will be produced at this plant. We look forward to an ongoing partnership with the state of North Carolina as we expand our company.”
Commerce Secretary, Anthony M. Copeland, added: “Today’s decision by Benestar Brands shows that North Carolina is a prime destination for companies of all kinds striving to innovate and grow market share. Our state has the assets and amenities to support growing companies to realise their strategic objectives.”
Benestar Brands was formed in 2019 by Highlander Partners, a Texas-based private equity firm. Highlander recently announced its acquisition of nutritional gummy manufacturer Hilo Nutrition, which marked the latest in a string of investments by the company in the confection industry.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024