Pepsi Bottling Ventures has announced it will invest $16.5 million in a new, consolidated 300,000-square-foot distribution center in St. Pauls, N.C. Pepsi Bottling Ventures is the nation’s largest privately-held manufacturer, seller and distributor of Pepsi-Cola beverages, serving more than 8 million consumers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
“This expansion will continue to strengthen North Carolina’s position as one of the fastest growing economies in the nation,” Gov. Pat McCrory said in a statement announcing the expansion. “The company’s choice of Robeson County for this state-of-the-art distribution center continues the strong momentum for the consumer foods and beverage industry in our state.”
“Today I am proud to announce Pepsi Bottling Ventures will be joining our community in St. Pauls,” Mayor Jerry Weindel said. “Pepsi Bottling Ventures will be a valuable asset to our community now and in the future, bringing more jobs and economic growth.”
“St. Pauls is an ideal location for our new facility. The location is centralized for our current employees and allows for easy highway access to distribute our products,” said Claire Niver, senior vice president of Corporate Affairs. “We appreciate the support we have received from the town of St. Pauls, Robeson County and the state of North Carolina making it possible for us to expand here.”
Ultimately, the 47-acre site on N.C. 20 was selected because of its access to water, sewer, electrical and natural gas services as well as Interstate 95 and workforce development programs at Robeson Community College and The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, according to Robeson County’s director of economic development, Greg Cummings.
The project is made possible in part by a $150,000 performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund and a $400,000 grant from the state’s Economic Infrastructure Program.
To read more, click here.
