Governor Pat McCrory, the Orange County Commissioners, and the City of Mebane, will be in attendance of the breaking ground of 120,000 sq. ft. Morinaga America Foods facility Thursday in Mebane.

Morinaga owns candy and confectionary production facilities throughout Japan, China, and Taiwan, with sales offices around the world; it considered Asia’s answer to Hershey’s, Mars, or Nestle. This establishment represents Morinaga’s first production facility outside of Asia. The ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. at the site on Wilson Road.

The speakers attending the event include Governor Pat McCrory; Chairman Gota Morinaga; President of Morinaga America Foods, Inc., Toshiaki Fukunaga; Board of County Commissioners Chair, Barry Jacobs; City of Mebane Mayor, Glendel Stephenson; and Consul General of Japan in Atlanta, Kazuo Sunaga.

The Orange County Director of Public Affairs, Carla Banks, elaborates on why Mebane was chosen as the location for Morinaga.

“When they decided they were going to embark on setting up a facility in the United States, they did visit other communities,” says Banks. “They ultimately ended up selecting Orange County because of the quality of life.”

Banks also speaks on the impact that the Morinaga facility will have for Mebane and Orange County as a whole.

“From an employment standpoint, the start-up of their American facility in Mebane will bring 90 jobs over the next three years,” says Banks. “I think the framework of Mebane is going to start changing as we are bringing in infrastructure for water and sewer, and paving the foundation for future economic development projects.”

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