Smithfield Packing Company will expand its Kinston facility in Lenoir County, NC, and create 330 new jobs, according to an announcement by Gov. Bev Perdue. The company will invest $85.5 million in the project over the next three years.

Smithfield Packing's primary lines of business include various meats marketed to retail, foodservice, and deli channels, and exported to about 30 countries. It operates as a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, Inc., a $12 billion global food business and the world's largest pork processor.

"The expansion of the Kinston plant will allow us to increase our packaged meats production to keep up with growing customer demand for our products," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods. The average annual wage for the new jobs will be $27,644 (plus benefits).

The One North Carolina Fund provided the company with a $700,000 grant to support the project.