The company’s plans in Rockingham County include the creation of 129 jobs over five years and a capital investment of nearly $28.5 million.
Farmina Pet Food USA LLC is part of family owned and operated Farmina Pet Foods Holding, whose small-animal nutrition business began in Italy in 1965. The global company utilizes natural ingredients in manufacturing both wet and dry dog and cat food products containing natural antioxidants and no GMOs.
Farmina remains headquartered in Italy and operates manufacturing facilities in Italy, Brazil and Serbia. It currently has a sales and marketing office in New York City. The company’s North Carolina location will include manufacturing, R&D and warehousing operations.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce led the state’s efforts to recruit Farmina, which also considered other U.S. destinations.
The company’s new jobs will offer salaries averaging $46,722 per year, creating a $6.15 million annual payroll impact in the region. Rockingham County’s overall wages currently average $35,146 per year. Farmina’s North Carolina workforce will include positions ranging from machine operators and shipping clerks to veterinarians and chemical technicians.
Farmina’s new presence in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. Over the 12-year term of the grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by more than $857 million.
Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the 129 new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $1.833 million over 12 years.
State payments occur only after verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met incremental job creation and investment targets. Projects supported by JDIG must result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to the recipient company. The provision ensures all North Carolina communities benefit from the JDIG program. ■
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