Pasta Piccinini, a leading food manufacturer based in Pasadena, California, is relocating its U.S. operations, production, and corporate office to Catawba County, an announcement that is expected to bring a minimum $6 million investment and 27 jobs to the Charlotte Region.
Established in 1971, Pasta Piccinini produces a wide range of specialty pasta products including fresh filled, fully cooked, and frozen fresh lines. The 27 positions expected to be created from this announcement will have an above-county-average wage 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 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 with the capacity to expand the company’s product offerings.
“We welcome Pasta Piccinini to the thriving Charlotte Region, a region primed for development, unique experiences, and a strong, diverse base of employers and available workforce,” Danny Chavez, chief business recruitment officer for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, said. “This is an exciting investment that further strengthens the food and beverage manufacturing industry cluster and talent pipeline in Catawba County. Pasta Piccinini’s attention to quality and renewable energy makes them a valued and appreciated part of our community. We wish them much success.”
The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance® began working with leaders from Pasta Piccinini six months ago, helping them to identify available real estate across the region, coordinating and hosting site visits, and connecting the company to local and state partners. Ultimately, company representatives were drawn to Catawba County because of the cost of doing business relative to California, the quality of life, and the amount of soft wheat suppliers in the region.
“We are excited that Pasta Piccinini has chosen Catawba County and North Carolina for its new manufacturing facility, becoming a part of the second largest food and beverage processing industry in the nation,” Melissa Smith, vice president for business recruitment and development for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), said. “With the support of our state’s strong economy and the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast, we are sure Pasta Piccinini will have long-term success in our state.”
This announcement further demonstrates the importance of the food and beverage manufacturing industry in the Charlotte Region. According to the research team at the CLT Alliance, the food manufacturing industry is projected to 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, a trend researchers expect to continue.
“We are extremely excited about this new project,” Stefano Piccinini, CEO of Pasta Piccinini, said. “The acquisition of the new building in Catawba County represents a further step in what we hope will be a very successful project. The U.S. market for pasta is growing very fast. We hope that our passion and determination, together with the state-of-the-art technologies that will be installed in the new plant, will open the door to new opportunities. A special thank goes to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Foundry Commercial, MAXIS Advisors, the City of Newton and Catawba County representatives who provided incredible support throughout the steps that led to the acquisition of the building and beyond.”
The CLT Alliance was proud to partner on this project with the City of Newton, Catawba County, the N.C. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Catawba County EDC, Western Piedmont Council of Governments and Maxis Advisors.
