Mt. Olive Pickle earns industry honor
By Steve Herring
Published in News on October 13, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Mount Olive Pickle Co. was honored Thursday as Wayne County Industry of the Year during the annual Wayne County Industry Appreciation Luncheon. From left are Phil Denlinger, vice president for agricultural procurement; Bill Bryan, board chairman; Bobby Frye, CEO; and Larry Beckman, vice president for manufacturing.
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Companies honored Thursday during the annual Wayne County Industry Appreciation Luncheon were from left SPX Flow, represented by Sam Kumar; SPX Transformer Solutions, represented by Rodolph King; and Reuel, represented by Geoffrey Carter, all of which received a Milestone Award, and Arnold-Wilbert Corp., which received the Why Wayne Works Award, represented by Mark King.
The Mt. Olive Pickle Co. Thursday was honored as Wayne County Industry of the Year.
The award was presented during the annual Wayne County Industry Appreciation Luncheon sponsored by the Wayne County Development Alliance and held at the Goldsboro Event Center.
"We are very proud to be a part of the Wayne County community," said Bill Bryan, Mt. Olive Pickle Co. board chairman. "We have a great relationship with not only Wayne County, but also the town of Mount Olive."
It is always a delight to work with the Development Alliance, he said.
"It gives us great pleasure to receive this award among our peers, and we just look forward to continuing to be a part of this community for many years to come," Bryan said.
Normally, the winner is not notified prior to the event, said Tiffany Creech, Alliance existing industry manager.
"We decided to go ahead and notify them ahead of time," she said. "We thought it would be neat if they were actually a part of this year's Industry of the Year video. We wanted you to hear from them -- to get their perspective on Wayne County -- who we are, what we stand for -- what we have to offer. We also wanted you all to get to know them a little better."
It is a great company that was formed on Jan. 2, 1926, by 13 original shareholders, she said.
Its products are sold in all 50 states as the best-selling brand of pickles, peppers and relishes in U.S. grocery stores, Creech said.
"Even as it has worked to achieve its position as the leading national brand, it has remained true to its original proposition," she said. "For nine decades, this company has served as mainstay in the economic well-being of its community.
"It has done so by focusing on the ultimate goals that are closer to home -- to produce an excellent product, to provide a fair return for its shareholders, to be a progressive compassionate employer and to remain a valued corporate citizen in the community."
During 2016, the company broke production records with 15 million cases, Creech said. Its footprint covers 1.1 million square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space across 150 acres.
"We joke in our office that this company has gobbled up every bit of available industrial property in Mount Olive leaving us virtually no industrial property in that area with which to recruit new industry," she said.
"But really, that's OK. We couldn't imagine a better existing industry to share our industrial space with."
The Arnold-Wilbert Corp. received the Why Wayne Works Award.
The award was created a few year ago to replace the Get'er Done Award. However, the meaning behind the award is the same -- it goes to a company that gets things done, Creech said.
Arnold-Wilbert Corp. began serving Wayne County and eastern North Carolina in the mid-1960s. It manufactures burial vaults and services them for funeral homes in eastern North Carolina.
The company currently has 55 employees.
Three companies received Milestone Achievements Awards. Created last year, the awards recognize companies that are at an important point in the progress or development of their business.
The winners are:
* Reuel, established in 1977, manufactures insulators, bushings and conductors typically used in medium electrical equipment for original equipment manufacturers.
* SPX Flow is celebrating 35 years in the county. It started out as Baker Perkins. It manufactures heat exchangers for commercial baking equipment.
* SPX Transformer Solutions is celebrating 50 years in Wayne County. It started in 1967 as Hevi-Duty. It builds transformers.