Have you ever thought about how a new food product is created?

I’m not talking about large industrial corporations overly processed foods — rather, we’re thinking about local production, small batch culinary creations. Most of the time, a home cook is experimenting with a recipe such as sauces, salsa, soups, sweet treats, seasonings and more when those magical words are spoken, “This is too good not to share, you should package this and sell it. You’ll make a fortune.” And you start thinking, “Can this really be a business? I need help.”

We are fortunate enough in Orange County to have a place where you can find that help and so much more. Piedmont Food Processing Center was established in 2011 with Congressman David Price cutting the ceremonial sweet potato. Located in Hillsborough in a building owned by the residents of Orange County, Piedmont Food Processing Center serves entrepreneurs from the Piedmont area and beyond. Funding for the operation comes from different sources including the Golden Leaf Foundation, USDA, HUD, RAFI, Weaver Street Market and Orange County, to name a few. It is independently run by Executive Director, Eric Holman and Assistant Director Sue Ellsworth, led by a regional Board of Directors. 

What exactly is a “food processing center,” you ask? The primary function of PFPC as a business incubator is to help entrepreneurs launch a food business. It connects users with local farmers and producers to create and package a food product that may be offered for sale at a farmer’s market, food festival, food truck, catering or grocery store. In addition the center offers a commercial kitchen space, education about food safety, and on site job training. It guides future companies on how to launch food related business from product development, safe packaging, regulatory guidelines, distribution and marketing. The co-working space is a resource that a food business requires to operate, at a reasonable cost. Kitchen equipment and space can be a hurdle for a small start up, food truck and a catering company. This is why PFPC and its Director and Assistant are such an important resource in Orange County. With their years of knowledge, experience and support, start up companies can launch with a higher likelihood of survival and success. This promotes job creation and economic development for our county and region. More than 300 businesses have launched over the past twelve years and that number will continue to grow. 

PFPC serves between 62-68 businesses at any given time with over 80 businesses using the facility each year. It could take months before a product is ready for sale while caterers and food trucks are producing and selling as soon as they receive needed permits from the health department.  Who are the business owners using the facility? 47% Women, 42% Men with 11% partners. How about by race? 41% White, 29% Black, 17% Latin, 12% Non-White with 1% identifying as Mixed-Race. Most of the businesses are from Orange County. Wake, Durham, Alamance, and Guilford also use PFPC. What type of businesses? 56% Packaged Goods, 25% Food Trucks, 12% Catering, 7% Farmers.* PFPC generates between 2-3 million dollars each year with 150 full time living wage jobs. 70% of businesses that began as an idea at a kitchen table and worked through PFPC are still in business and continue to add to the economic growth in Orange County. As someone who has been in the food business for over 20 years, I can say that we are fortunate to have a Food Incubator in Orange County and I want to thank Eric and Sue for helping the 300 plus businesses get their footing to launch into the food industry. 

* Information from a 9/14/2023 presentation

If you are interested in launching a food business you can contact the Piedmont Food Processing Center at 919 241-4212, https://www.pfapnc.org/

(featured image via pfapnc.org)

 

Penny and her family moved to Chapel Hill in 1998. She soon joined the Town of Chapel Hill’s Telecommunications and Technology advisory board and was appointed by the town to the OWASA board of directors where she served 6 years and held the Vice Chair position. In 2009 she ran and was elected to the town council in Chapel Hill, and in 2012 ran and was elected to the BOCC where she served 8 years, the last two as chair of the board. Penny owns and operates a personal chef and catering company and has been published in Cary Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, INDY Week, Southern Neighbor and News14. She lives in Carrboro with her mom Jersey Jacky. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram

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