Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 1/27/14


Smithfield Foods Inc. is continuing its expansion of a pork processing facility in Kinston, N.C., committing to expand that current plant this year in a project that will include $16 million in personal property and equipment.

The company — now a division of China’s WH Group — opened the state-of-the-art facility in 2006 and launched an expansion project in 2011 at a cost of at least $85.5 million. The complete expansion program is expected to create a total of 330 jobs to the Lenoir County area when completed this year.

As of the last expansion three years ago, Smithfield had more than 12,000 employees in North Carolina across five plants across the state. Smithfield has operated in Kinston for more than 35 years.

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