Food Company to Invest $4 Million in Oxford

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Kerr Tar COG Staff

D’Artagnan, Inc., a specialty food company distributor, will create 23 new jobs in Granville County, Governor Roy Copper announced on June 1, 2022. The company will invest more than $4 million to located a warehouse and distribution facility in the City of Oxford.

“We are glad to welcome D’Artagnan to Granville County and North Carolina,” said Governor Cooper. “Our East Coast location and capable workforce will greatly benefit the company’s operations and growth here in the Southeast.”

Founded by French food pioneer, Ariane Daguin in 1985. D’Artagnan has been a leading provider of high-quality meat, produce, and delicacies to high-end hotels and restaurants in the United States. The New Jersey-based company distributes natural, sustainable food raised on farms and ranches across the world to offer organic products. D’Artagnan has three business segments covering food service, retail, and e-commerce that sells its food products in all 50 states. As the largest distribution site outside of New Jersey, the new Oxford location will support D’Artagnan’s expansion into the Southeast market.

“Our whole team is excited about developing our sales in this beautiful region!” says Ariane Daguin, CEO of D’Artagnan. “We have closely followed the food scene in the Carolinas and are very happy to be able to contribute to it!”

“North Carolina is within a day’s drive of more than 170 million customers in the United States,” said NC Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “When you combine our location with a transportation infrastructure and a skilled pipeline of talent, distributors across all industries have the winning ingredients for success.”

The NC Department of Commerce led a team of partners in supporting D’Artagnan’s decision to expand to North Carolina. Although wages will vary for each position, the average annual salary for the new positions is $46,170, which exceeds Granville County’s overall average annual wage of $45,096. The new jobs have the potential to create an annual payroll impact of more than $1 million.

A performance-based grant of $50,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help with D’Artagnan’s location to North Carolina. The One NC 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. D’Artagnan must invest at least $3,695,300 to receive One NC grant payments. All One NC grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

“This is another great economic development win for Granville County,” said NC Senator Mike Woodard. “We welcome these new jobs and $4 million investment to our community and are ready to support the company’s future success.”

“More and more companies are finding the business climate in our region ideal for their strategic growth plans,” said NC Representative Terry E. Garrison. “We appreciate the diligent local and state officials and economic development partners that helped bring this project to Oxford.”

Joining the NC Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina were key partners in the project that included the North Carolina General Assembly, Granville County Economic Development, Granville County Chamber, Granville County Public Schools, the City of Oxford, and the NCWorks Career Center in Oxford.

Person County Awarded Upward of $900,000 for Site Development Through Golden LEAF SITE Program

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Kerr Tar COG Staff

June 3, 2022 – MEDIA RELEASE

At the June 2, 2022 meeting of the Golden LEAF Board of Directors, awards were announced for the second round of SITE Program funding, including $973,750 to Person County to complete due diligence and to clear and grade a 26-acre parcel in the county-owned North Park site.

“The Golden LEAF Board of Directors provided $10 million this fiscal year to support the long-term economic advancement of our rural and economically distressed communities through our SITE Program,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer. “Golden LEAF is pleased to support this project that will help ready the North Park site for industry growth and the creation of quality jobs in Person County.”

A press release issued by Golden LEAF offered background on the origin and focus of the program, as stated below.

The SITE Program supports communities in identifying potential sites for economic development and provides funds to enable completion of due diligence on sites already identified or to extend public utilities to or conduct rough grading and clearing of sites for which due diligence has been completed. The three phases of the SITE Program are Identification, Due Diligence, and Development.

“The need for industrial sites, especially in rural areas, was a gap identified in our strategic planning process,” said Don Flow, Golden LEAF Board Chair. “As we have seen, ready sites are no longer a luxury but a necessity to move at the speed of business. The second round of SITE Program projects will help prepare North Carolina for these economic growth opportunities.”

Upon learning of the news of the award, Person County EDC Chairman Phillip Allen commented, “EDC Member and Board of Commissioners’ Chairman Gordon Powell was recently quoted as saying that all those tasked with serving the citizens’ best interests are working together to diligently pursue all avenues of growth for Person County. The development of the North Park site is a part of that strategy. This is a county-owned property already zoned as industrial and having all infrastructure adjacent. We have locally advanced the site to the point of being permitted, and this SITE Program funding from Golden LEAF will allow us to have a site to present for prospects that is cleared, graded, and ready to go.”

Sherry Wilborn, Person County Economic Development Director, submitted the application for the early-March 2022 program deadline.

“Timelines and preparedness mean everything for manufacturing projects today. When a site is brought to the point of having extensive due diligence performed, even to the point of a cleared and graded site, that tells a company that risk has been eliminated, project timelines have been shortened, and the community has already demonstrated a commitment to their success. I am grateful to the Golden LEAF Foundation, its Board of Directors, and staff for understanding and acting on the importance of supporting site development to keep rural counties competitive in recruitment of new jobs and investment,” said Wilborn.

Plans for the North Park site, located off North Park Drive in Roxboro, include a developable area of 250,000 square feet to accommodate new or expanding manufacturing operations.

To learn more about the Golden LEAF Foundation and its programs, visit www.goldenleaf.org.

Person County is a part of the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina, with proximity to the Piedmont Triad Region, and is a border county to Virginia. Person County Economic Development serves as the primary contact for business and industry seeking to locate or expand in Person County. Contact Person County EDC today for available buildings, sites, or other information at www.personcountyedc.com.