Italian meat company bringing 150 jobs to Rockingham County

Italian cured meats manufacturer Veronesi Holding S.p.A., a Gruppo Veronesi company, will invest approximately $100 million to establish its first U.S. production facility in Rockingham County, creating an estimated 150 jobs over the next four years, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

The facility will be located on 75.8 acres in the Innovation Village @ Rockingham and used to age, process and package the company’s products.

In July 2018, Northam met with company officials in Italy on an international trade and marketing mission.

“We are pleased that Veronesi Holding S.p.A. chose Virginia, the home of nearly 900 internationally owned businesses, to grow in the U.S.,” Northam said in a statement. “We welcome one of Europe’s leading food and beverage companies to Virginia and Rockingham County and look forward to its success in the commonwealth.”

Headquartered in Verona, Italy, Veronesi Holding S.p.A. is a privately traded company that reported more than 3.1 billion euros in sales in 2020 and has 9,000 employees. The poultry and hog producer’s products range from feed to fresh and cured meats. Veronesi owns the Agricola Italiana Alimentare S.p.A. (AIA) and Negroni brands, the latter of which has produced delicatessen meats for more than a century.

“This is a very ambitious project for us and it marks an important step for our company,” Gruppo Veronesi CEO Luigi Fasoli said in a statement. “We want to start a new chapter in our history and establish in this country our first-ever production site for cured meats abroad, offering Americans all our expertise with the maximum freshness and quality. It is with great enthusiasm that we chose Virginia, where we found all the necessary ingredients to live our American dream.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Rockingham County, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership and the Port of Virginia to secure the project. Northam approved a $3.8 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund for the county. Veronesi Holding is eligible for benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program and a Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit. VEDP’s Virginia Jobs Investment program will provide funding to support employee recruitment and training activities.