Pactiv, LLC will invest more than $9 million to expand its manufacturing facilities in Lenoir and Iredell counties, as part of a project expected to create 77 jobs in the city’s of Kinston and Mooresville, North Carolina.

Headquartered in Illinois, Pactiv is a leader in the foodservice and food packaging markets. Pactiv’s current product lines include custom and stock foam, plastic, aluminum, pressed-paperboard, PE coated board and molded-fiber packaging. These products supply packers, processors, supermarkets, restaurants, institutions and foodservice outlets around the world. Pactiv currently employs more than 850 people in North Carolina.

“We are excited about this expansion,” said Pactiv President and CEO John McGrath. “We are committed to meeting our customers’ needs and growing the business in communities where there is a good business climate and a skilled and available workforce. Thank you to the state of North Carolina for their unwavering support of our expansion plans.”

“Manufacturers like Pactiv recognize that our state’s workforce is second to none,” said Gov. Pat McCrory. “We must continue to support education and job training programs that will help companies produce more goods with the ‘Made in North Carolina’ logo.”

The project was made possible in part by a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund of up to $103,000. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.

Other partners that helped with this project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation, Lenoir County Economic Development Corporation, Iredell County, Lenoir County, Town of Mooresville and the City of Kinston.