Pactiv, an Illinois-based multinational food packing company, is expanding its operation in Lenoir and Iredell counties, creating 77 new jobs in the process.
“We are excited about this expansion,” Pactiv President and CEO John McGrath said in a statement. “We are committed to meeting our customers’ needs and growing the business in communities where there is a good business climate and a skilled and available workforce.
“Thank you to the state of North Carolina for their unwavering support of our expansion plans.”
The move caught the attention of Gov. Pat McCrory — whose office sent out a release on the plans — and state Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker.
“Manufacturers like Pactiv recognize that our state’s workforce is second to none,” McCrory said in a statement. “We must continue to support education and job training programs that will help companies produce more goods with the ‘Made in North Carolina’ logo.”
Overall, about $9 million are to be invested in the project, and the annual payroll is projected to run to more than $2.7 million.
Pactiv, started in 1965, is the largest company of its kind, employing more than 11,000 people at more than 50 different locations. One of those is on Enterprise Boulevard, behind Electrolux near U.S. 70.
Part of luring the new jobs to the Kinston area was a $103,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, along with assistance from the state Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, the Lenoir County Economic Development Corporation, and the governments of Lenoir County and the City of Kinston.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.
Pactiv Corporation
Expansion in Lenoir and Iredell counties
Creating 77 new jobs
Combined annual payroll more than $2.7 million
For information about jobs, visit Pactiv.com