Lubbock, TX — The Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) and Market Lubbock, Inc. announced the creation of 580 new jobs and a $9.92 million capital investment at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. The additional jobs come as a result of the expansion of one local business and the expansion of another new business to the Lubbock community.
Severn Peanut Company, a division of Meherrin Agriculture, is expanding its operations by opening a new food processing facility in Lubbock, which is scheduled to open at the end of 2016. The expansion will create 80 new jobs, and the company will make an initial $8.75 million capital investment.
“We’re excited to come to western Texas,” Dallas Barnes, president of Severn Peanut Company, said. “Our 70 year heritage is steeped in communities based in the agriculture industry. The values at the core of our company, those of integrity and caring for each other, are shared in farming areas. Lubbock fits that profile perfectly, and we look forward to being a great corporate citizen.”
Severn Peanut Company, who produces great-tasting products including in-shell Virginia and Valencia peanuts, shelled peanuts and tree nut snacks and nut butters, has purchased the spec building located at the Lubbock Rail Port, and once fully operational, the company is anticipated to produce an estimated annual payroll of $2.9 million.
“Our Hampton Farms team has been working with farmers in West Texas for many years now,” Thomas Pasinger, vice president of operations for Severn Peanut Company, said. “The educated workforce and the world class university in town attracted us to Lubbock. Opening this facility allows us to strengthen our local ties and create new opportunities in the community.”
VXI Global Solutions, LLC, a leading provider of business process and information technology outsourcing services to its clients, will add 500 new jobs to their Lubbock location. The company will also be making a $1.17 million capital investment in their Lubbock location.
“We hope that applicants are just as excited as we are about this new expansion, and we want to ensure that this is a very successful launch,” Jesse Benson, Lubbock site director for VXI Global, said. “We will be hiring approximately 500 inbound account associates beginning immediately and welcome all to come in and apply. With growth like this comes great opportunities to advance to position of trainers, operations manager and team leads, so if you are looking for a good job or great career, please join us!”
“On behalf of the board and staff at LEDA and Market Lubbock, we would like to congratulate Severn Peanut Company and VXI Global Solutions on their expansion and continued commitment to growing in Lubbock,” John Osborne, CEO and president of LEDA and Market Lubbock, said. “The jobs created and investment in new capital improvements will have a tremendous impact on the local economy. We are excited to see the continued investment in Lubbock, and we remain fully committed to helping these and other local businesses grow.”
Once fully operational, the total value added impact (change in Lubbock County’s Gross Regional Product) will be $71.2 million (combined) annually for these companies.
About LEDA
Since its inception in 2004, LEDA has assisted 137 companies with their expansion or relocation to Lubbock. These companies committed to creating 6,265 jobs and investing more than $503 million in new capital improvements that have resulted in more than $7.7 billion in cumulative economic impact to the Lubbock area.
About Severn Peanut Company
Founded in 1946, Severn Peanut Company, a division of Meherrin Agriculture, produces great-tasting products including in-shell Virginia and Valencia peanuts, shelled peanuts and tree nut snacks, and nut butters. Products are marketed under the brand name Hampton Farms and frequently merchandised with other FRESH foods in the Produce Department of supermarkets. Headquartered in Severn, North Carolina, the company has a true seed to shelf story, selling peanut seed to American farmers and working with them throughout the growing season to ensure the best quality peanuts. Severn Peanut has a full shelling operation, bringing raw farmer stock peanuts directly from farmers to shelling facilities in NC and NM. The company currently roasts & packages in facilities in North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts and New Mexico producing goods for retailers, stadiums and other food manufacturers. The company is the market leader of the in-shell peanut category with its Hampton Farms brand, which is sold across the United States and Canada.
About VXI Global Solutions, LLC
VXI Global Solutions, LLC. (VXI) is a leading provider of business process and information technology outsourcing services to its clients. VXI specializes in call center and BPO services, software development, quality assurance testing, and infrastructure outsourcing with more than 25,000 employees worldwide. With its commitment to innovation, and along with its ITO arm Symbio, VXI creates superior new technology-enabled operational tools to aid in the delivery of complete call center services, including maintaining applications and co-creating business solutions. Symbio is a global ITO and R&D technology development company specializing in software development, digitization of services, and mobile app development and support. As a certified Minority Enterprise (MBE), VXI is a diverse supplier that can execute with quality and scale to meet the minority compliance needs of major US companies. VXI is founded and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, since 1998. For more information, please visit www.vxi.com.
