New England food manufacturer bringing over 200 jobs in $42 million Gaston expansion

A Northeast fresh food company is expanding production in the Southeast with plans to invest over $42.2 million in a Gaston County production facility, creating over 200 jobs.

Häns Kissle Co., a 38-year-old Massachusetts firm, will build a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing site in Apple Creek Corporate Center, Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday in a news release. The 330-acre industrial site is outside of Gastonia, west of Charlotte.

The 219 jobs created will have an average annual salary of $42,018, which is equal to Gaston County’s average annual wage.

The company plans to break ground June 9 and be operational by next summer, according to Gaston County Economic Development Commission.

North Carolina has the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast and is the third-largest state in the country for food and beverage processing, N.C. Department of Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said in a statement.

For Häns Kissle’s investment, the state’s Economic Investment Committee approved a Job Development Investment Grant up to nearly $2.2 million over 12 years. The project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by $599 million.

The JDIG agreement also calls for moving $239,600 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund — Utility Account, which helps finance infrastructure upgrades in rural communities across the state.

Häns Kissle joins at least three other companies at the industrial park.

Last June, German company Knoll America — a supplier of conveyor systems, filter systems and metal processing pumps — said it would invest $7.8 million to build a 60,000-square-foot facility and create 31 jobs.

Two other companies are Finnish-based Premix Inc., a plastic compound manufacturer, and Netherland-based GNT, manufacturer of coloring foods.

About Häns Kissle

Häns Kissle has a 112,000-square-foot facility in Haverhill, Mass., according to the privately-held company’s website. The company manufactures fresh prepared foods for supermarkets and foodservice customers throughout the U.S.

Since opening as an in-house commissary for a Massachusetts grocery chain in 1984, the company now serves a menu of 700 items, including entrees, delicatessen salads, side dishes, quiches and other ready-to-eat foods.

The North Carolina expansion will help meet growing demand with its Southeast retailers, Häns Kissle CEO Scott Moffitt said in a statement.

This story was originally published May 24, 2022 at 1:23 PM.