The new facility features nearly 50,000 pallet positions and has an annual capacity of more than one billion pounds.

December 14, 2018

2 Min Read
 The company invested more than $100 million into the over 500,000-square foot facility.
From left to right: Chris Lahti, Smithfield Foods vice president of Distribution; Dennis Organ, Smithfield Foods senior vice president of Supply Chain; Lofton Johnson, Smithfield Foods Tar Heel distribution manager; Scott Saunders, Smithfield Foods president of Fresh Pork; Ken Sullivan, Smithfield Foods president and chief executive officer; Steve Troxler, commissioner of North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs; North Carolina Sen. Bill Rabon; and Sam Boyle, Smithfield Foods director of East Distribution.Smithfield Foods

 

Source: Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods has announced it will be bringing 250 new jobs to North Carolina with the grand opening of its new distribution center in Tar Heel. The company invested more than $100 million into the over 500,000-square foot facility, about the size of eight football fields, and its blast cell cold storage capabilities at its processing facility, which will strengthen the company’s supply chain to better serve customers globally.

“We are experiencing an exciting time of growth and this new distribution center will help us continue to optimize our footprint,” says Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer for Smithfield Foods. “More than 10,000 Smithfield Family members already call North Carolina home, and we’re proud that our investment in this project will create even more jobs. We look forward to welcoming new employees into our family.”

On Friday, Smithfield leadership attended a grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration at the Tar Heel distribution center, which has begun making shipments and will be fully operational by Jan. 2019. Commissioner Steve Troxler, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, and state Sen. Bill Rabon joined the celebration.

“I applaud Smithfield for their continued support of North Carolina’s leading industry—agriculture,” says Commissioner Troxler. “With this new facility, Smithfield will strengthen the role North Carolina farmers play in feeding our country and the world.”

The new facility features nearly 50,000 pallet positions and has an annual capacity of more than one billion pounds. It will also optimize its transportation and distribution network to lower fuel usage, cut transportation costs, and improve delivery times. It is located adjacent to one of the company’s meat processing facilities, which is the largest pork plant in the world, and produces fresh pork products for customers in the U.S. and across the globe.

“Smithfield’s investment in this new facility is yet another example of the company’s role as an economic driver for our state,” says North Carolina Sen. Bill Rabon. “In addition to providing thousands of well-paying jobs, the company and its people regularly support charitable causes that improve the lives of fellow North Carolinians. Smithfield continues to be a great partner of the Tar Heel State.”

“This new distribution center exemplifies Smithfield’s unwavering commitment to continuously improving its operations,” says Dennis Organ, senior vice president of supply chain for Smithfield Foods. “While providing best-in-class customer service, we’re reducing the distance our products travel, which shrinks our carbon footprint and positions us to achieve our long-term sustainability goals.”

New employees at the distribution center will join more than 5,000 currently employed at the Tar Heel facility. To learn about Smithfield careers and apply for available positions, visit https://www.smithfieldfoods.com/careers.

 

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