Mt. Olive Pickles held an open house on Sept. 21 at the company’s new Goldsboro Production facility. The open house was attended by a group of local elected officials, economic development representatives, and others.
We are happy to be in Goldsboro,” Bobby Frye, President and CEO of Mt. Olive Pickle Company, Inc., said. “It has taken two years of planning and execution to get here, but this facility will handle our growth needs well into the future,” he said. “We are pleased to be within 20 miles of our base of operations. We have enjoyed nearly 100 years of operations in our hometown of Mount Olive, and we look to many more. This Goldsboro expansion sets us up for the future and eases demand on our Mount Olive facilities.”
The project came about through the collaborative efforts of a number of key partners, many of whom had representatives present to see the facility firsthand.
“This is a great day for Wayne County and a testament to what can be accomplished when we pool our resources to work together,” said Julie Graham, Wayne County Existing Industry Director. “Today we see the finished product in action – an upgraded facility, local employees working in well-paying, competitive jobs with benefits, and a good company that was able to find what it needed to expand right here at home.”
Mt. Olive purchased the 168,000-square-foot former SPX Flow property on West Ash Street in August 2021. The first production line, a spear line, started up June 19 with 84 employees. Ultimately, the facility may house up to three production lines if future growth warrants adding additional lines in Goldsboro, Frye said.
The new facility marks the company’s $36 million investment in infrastructure improvements and state-of-the-art equipment. That amount is in addition to the $10 million Mt. Olive spent in 2021 to purchase the SPX site and the former Cheney Brothers Distribution Center in the ParkEast Industrial Park.
“Mt. Olive Pickle Company, Inc., has been a main artery to the town of Mount Olive and Wayne County for nearly 100 years,” said Mark Pope, President, North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region. Their commitment to the community and state perfectly exemplifies our existing industries as a backbone of economic development. We commend Bobby Frye and the Mt. Olive Pickle team for their commitment to growing the company within Wayne County, the EDR region, and the state of North Carolina.”
Key partners in the project included the N.C. Department of Commerce, North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College Association, North Carolina’s Southeast, North Carolina Global TransPark Economic Development Region, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Duke Energy, Wayne Community College, Wayne County, Wayne County Economic Development Alliance, and The City of Goldsboro.
In February 2022, Governor Roy Cooper announced the collaboration and the award of a $600,000 performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund at a ceremony at Wayne Community College.
Mt. Olive Pickle Company was established in 1926 by a group of Mount Olive business leaders who believed creating a new market for local farmers would benefit the town’s economy. Today, Mt. Olive manufactures the best-selling brand of pickles, peppers, and relishes in the U.S. Still headquartered in Mount Olive at the Corner of Cucumber & Vine, the company employs more than 1,250.
