Chamber of Commerce

Not only does Fayetteville have businesses with local roots, foreign companies have chosen to locate here as well. Nitta Gelatin USA, Inc. produces gelatin for various foods as well as medicinal purposes. The Japanese company invested close to $26 million in a plant not far from Nitta Gelatin USA Smithfield Foods and Prestage Farms, two of the largest pork processors in the state. Pork products are used to make the gelatin powder used in pill capsules and foods like gummy candies and marshmallows. The plant opened in 2006 and is the only one of its kind in the United States. As the most technologically-advanced gelatin manufacturing facility in the world, it can be solely operated by three employees and run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Nitta Gelatin USA, Inc. produces 3,000 metric tons of gelatin every year with the majority being shipped to Canada and Japan. General Manager Chad Kormanek joined the company when the new plant was slated to come to Cumberland County. He was there for the entire designing and building process and has been with the plant since day one. “We expect to see continued growth locally,” he said, “and in the future gelatin ventures of Nitta.” The Partnership for Defense Innovation Rather than providing a specific product, the Partnership for Defense Innovation focuses on providing a service to the community. This one-of-a-kind program has its center of operations in Fayetteville. PDI’s two programs, the Defense and Security Technology Accelerator and its research and development lab, have roots here, too. Fostering advancement in defense, security and intelligence technology, along with research and development, PDI began as a 75-page concept and is now a business that creates jobs and generates revenue for the state of North Carolina. With support from the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce and federal and state funding, PDI was established in November 2006 and opened for use in January 2007. Its 15,000-square-foot headquarters on Ramsey Street near downtown features offices, conference rooms and laboratories with the latest technology and full audio/visual capabilities. PDI also operates offices on the campuses of North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Western Carolina University. 56 | Accents • 2010 - 2011

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