Unix Packaging, a California based contract manufacturer of branded and private label beverages, will create 226 new jobs in Burke County, North Carolina.
The company will invest $19 million to locate its first East Coast manufacturing facility in Morganton.
Unix Packaging, founded in 2010, specializes in turn-key production of functional beverages, flavored water, alkaline and vapor distilled water, carbonated soft drinks, and other specialty beverages such as kombucha.
Headquartered in Montebello, Cal., the company will establish its third state-of-the-art facility for manufacturing, bottling, and packaging beverage products for well-known national retailers. In addition to its Morganton production facility, Unix will also operate a warehouse for storage of raw materials and finished products.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce led a collaborative state effort to attract the company.
Among the positions Unix Packaging will create in Morganton are operators, forklift drivers, shipping specialists, mechanics and office workers. The average annual salary for the new positions could exceed $39,000, with a payroll impact of more than $8.8 million per year for the local economy. The current average annual wage in Burke County is $36,801.
A performance-based grant of $500,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate Unix Packaging’s location to Burke County. The One N.C. Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs.
Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One N.C. grants require a matching grant from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met. ■
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