CARYVILLE, TN. (WLAF)- A ribbon cutting celebrated a new business in Caryville yesterday. Gold Creek Foods, while it opened in September, officially joined the community with a ribbon cutting.

Gold Creek Foods, headquartered in Georgia, acquired the former Campos building this year. It currently employs 218 people with projections to employee another 50-70 in the near future, according to Jay Willoughby, a member of the Joint Economic Development Board. County officials worked to bring the chicken production company here in hopes to offset the loss of the former factory.

“Other notable numbers surrounding Gold Creek Foods move to Campbell County include an $18 million investment by the end of 2023, an average wage of $44,000 a year (exclusive of benefits) and a seven year impact of wages with a turnover factor of 3.5 will generate $258 million dollars into our economy,” said Willoughby.

“They were the second largest private employer in the county, according to Willoughby. They were also LaFollette Utility Board’s largest customer, he said.

Gold Creek Foods has 14 other plants located in Georgia with the Caryville plant being its first location outside of its home state. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 12/07/2022-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S ANN RUTHERFORD)