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INFORMATION ITEM - Attachment 6 - G <br />MEMORANDUM <br />To: Michael Talbert <br />Interim Orange County Manager <br />From: Steve Brantley <br />Director, Orange County Economic Development <br />Date: November 8, 2013 <br />Subj: Assembly of Governments Meeting on Nov. 21, 2013 <br />Draft Agenda's #6 Information Item (Morinaga America Foods, Inc.) <br />MORINAGA AMERICA FOODS, INC. <br />Our community celebrated significant economic development success on Sept. 3rd, 2013 when Orange <br />County, the City of Mebane and the State of North Carolina jointly announced that Morinaga America <br />Foods, Inc. has selected a 21 -acre light industrial site in our Buckhorn Economic Development District. The <br />Company will initially build a 98,000 sq. ft. candy production facility to make the fruit chewable candy called <br />"Hi- Chew ", employ 90 — 120 workers, and invest up to $48 million. The project will pay its employees an <br />average annual salary of $38,000 and contribute an annual payroll of $3.4 million to the community. <br />Recruitment of this 114 -year old major Japanese confectionary company over the recent 18 months <br />involved more than 12 company visits, and a joint recruitment effort by Orange County, the City of Mebane <br />and the State during a very competitive statewide and national site search by Morinaga. <br />Investment: $34 - $48 million <br />Employment: 90 - 120 jobs <br />Avg. Annual Salary: $37,969 <br />Annual Payroll: $3.4 million (includes Health Insurance & Benefits) <br />Facility Size: 98,000 sq. ft. <br />Type of Operation: Production of "Hi- Chew" candy <br />Site Size: 21 Acres (Buckhorn Economic Development District) <br />Morinaga America Foods, Inc. will begin site work in March, 2014 and construct the initial 98,000 sq. ft. <br />facility by year -end. Machinery installation will occupy the first half of 2015, leading up to a completed <br />operation by June or July, 2015. The 21 -acre site is located in the Buckhorn Economic Development District <br />and is large enough to accommodate one or more additional plant expansions in the future. There are <br />signs the Company could eventually grow with additional phases of similar size. <br />With this planned capital investment, Morinaga will become Orange County's 3rd largest corporate tax <br />payer (behind the two utilities Duke Energy and Piedmont EMC), and is our largest manufacturing related <br />taxpayer. <br />