NEWTON, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A California pasta company announced that it would bring its U.S. operations, production, and corporate office to Catawba County.
In an announcement, the 52-year-old Pasadena-based company said it would bring 27 jobs and a $6 million investment to the region. Pasta Piccinini makes a wide range of specialty pasta products, including fresh-filled, fully cooked, and fresh frozen lines.
The 27 positions reportedly will have above-county-average wages of $48,000.
“Pasta Piccinini joins over 30 other internationally-owned companies in Catawba County that provide thousands of jobs for the local workforce,” Garrett Hinshaw, chair of Catawba County Economic Development Corporation, said. “Catawba County has a strong reputation for supporting advanced manufacturing. We look forward to working with Pasta Piccinini to help them grow and thrive in Catawba County.”
The company purchased the property in Newton to house its new corporate office and production operations. The facility will be home to state-of-the-art, high-tech manufacturing equipment that can expand the company’s product offerings.
Charlotte Regional Business Alliance representatives said the company chose Newton and Catawba County because of the cost of doing business relative to California, the quality of life, and the number of soft wheat suppliers in the region. The organization started working with the company in July.
According to the research team at the CLT Alliance, the food manufacturing industry will likely add more jobs than any other manufacturing sub-industry over the next eight years. Since 2020, food and beverage manufacturers have announced more than 1,900 jobs and $1.4 billion in capital investment in the region, trend researchers expect to continue.
Last month, Microsoft announced it would invest $1 billion in the phased development of four datacenters in Catawba County over the next 10 years. One site would be at the Newton Corporate Center off N.C. 10, west of Hickory.
