Smithfield Packing Co, the pork-producing subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, has opened a new $100 million boneless cooked ham plant in Kinston NC. The plant has created 300 new jobs and will contribute more than $1.5 million in annual wages to the local economy.
North Carolina Lt Gov Beverly Perdue, Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler, Kinston Mayor Pro Tem Robert Swinson, and Lenoir County Commissioner George Graham joined Smithfield executives for the grand-opening ceremony.
This is Smithfield’s second plant in Kinston and its seventh plant in North Carolina. The company employs more than 11,000 workers in the state.
The new plant employs technologies designed to improve food safety, enhance food quality, and reduce water consumption. It initially will produce 90 million pounds of pork products annually, including deli ham and sliced lunch meat.
