Gastonia Times

County of Gaston issued the following announcement on May 23.

Häns Kissle Company, a fresh foods manufacturer, will create 219 new jobs in Gaston County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest more than $42.2 million to build a food manufacturing facility in Apple Creek Corporate Center.

“North Carolina’s agricultural and manufacturing legacy continues to attract growing companies,” said Governor Cooper. “Our skilled workforce, robust transportation network, and a great quality of life are key ingredients for our thriving manufacturing industry.”

Häns Kissle manufactures a wide variety of high quality fresh prepared foods for supermarkets and foodservice customers throughout the United States. Since opening as an in-house commissary for a premium Massachusetts grocery chain in 1984, the company now serves a menu of 700 items, including premium entrees, delicatessen salads, side dishes, quiches and other great tasting, fresh ready-to-eat foods, to a broad range of retail customers. Häns Kissle’s expansion to the Southeastern United States will increase production and distribution capacity for its food items and add approximately 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space.

“We are excited to be able to expand production to meet the growing demand for our premium products from consumers and retail partners in the Southeast,” said Scott Moffitt, CEO of Häns Kissle Company. “Gastonia is a thriving community with a talented workforce, and we are proud to put down roots and call it home for our new facility. We look forward to bringing great jobs to the community and being a positive contributor in many ways.”

“We welcome Häns Kissle to our community,” said Chairman Chad Brown, Gaston County Commissioner. “Gaston County continues to land great companies at our new business park, Apple Creek Corporate Center. This investment underscores the strength of our manufacturing economy and ability to deliver the business climate manufacturers need. I commend all the local, regional, and state partners for their diligent work to support this economic development project.”

“We are excited to welcome Häns Kissle to the City of Gastonia. This project will create a substantial amount of investment in jobs and infrastructure, while showcasing our city and county as a major player in manufacturing for this region,” said City of Gastonia Mayor Walker E. Reid.

“It’s no secret that North Carolina is the special ingredient for growing food companies,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “With the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast and the third largest state in the nation for food and beverage processing, Häns Kissle’s decision is a strong signal to other food companies that North Carolina is a great place to do business.”

Häns Kissle’s project will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $599 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $2,156,400 spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.

“This is another great win for our region and state,” said N.C. Senator Kathy Harrington. “We welcome these additional jobs and investment for Gaston County and look forward to seeing what Häns Kissle will grow here.”

“We welcome Häns Kissle to North Carolina,” said N.C. Representative John Torbett. “This announcement is yet another example of how Gaston County has a winning recipe for successfully attracting companies across all industries.”

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Gaston County Economic Development Commission would like to thank other key partners in the project including:  the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab, the North Carolina Community College System, Gaston College, Gaston County Board of Commissioners, Dominion Energy, the City of Gastonia, Rutherford Electric, Two Rivers Utilities, Neill Grading and Construction, and Alfred Benesch & Company.

Original source can be found here.