Smithfield Foods and Kansas City Sausage will build a $44.8 million plant in North Carolina
A partnership involving Smithfield Foods Inc. and Kansas City Sausage LLC plans to build a $44.8 million plant in North Carolina to satisfy the growing consumer demand for breakfast and dinner sausage.
The 90,000-square-foot plant in Sampson County, N.C., is expected to be completed by June 2016. It will create an estimated 177 jobs, the two companies said in a statement Wednesday.
Smithfield formed Kansas City Sausage in 2013 as part of its strategy to expand into the $4 billion breakfast and dinner sausage business. The North Carolina plant represents a 50-50 joint venture between the companies.
“This new facility is an essential part of (our) strategy and also underscores our commitment to broaden our product offerings,” said Smithfield president and chief executive Larry Pope.
The plant will produce 50 million pounds of pork sausage annually, and the operation is expected to process between 700 and 1,000 sows a day.
Kansas City Sausage bought the factory site in April 2014. Demolition of a building on that property will begin immediately.
Smithfield Foods, based in Smithfield, Va., is the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. Its brands include Farmland, Eckrich, Smithfield, Armour and John Morrell.
To reach Steve Rosen, call 816-234-4879 or send email to srosen@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published May 27, 2015 at 10:29 AM with the headline "Smithfield Foods and Kansas City Sausage will build a $44.8 million plant in North Carolina."