Michelle’s Bakery Receives Grant

Thanks to a $132,000 grant from the NC Rural Center’s Building Reuse and Restoration Grant Program Michelle’s Bakery will soon relocate their business to a 12,000 square foot existing building along I-40 in Rutherford College. Best Friends Vending, Inc., doing business as Michelle’s Bakery, plans to expand their operations in North Carolina. Michelle’s Bakery plans to relocate their current operations to a 12,000 square foot existing building along I-40 in Rutherford College. The company plans to hire an additional eleven new employees for the manufacturing, packaging and supply of its products. The project was made possible in part by a $132,000 grant from the NC Rural Center’s Building Reuse and Restoration Grant Program in addition to a local government match from the Town of Rutherford College. “The Town of Rutherford College encourages individual entrepreneurship,” said Kenneth Geathers, Town Manager of Rutherford College. “Our community is conducive to new and growing companies, and the council is proud to support this business.” Best Friends Vending, Inc. has been in business in North Carolina for twelve years and is owned and led by Ms. Tammy Cannon. Eleven years ago Best Friends Vending, Inc. bought a small company named Michelle’s Bakery and chose to keep the product name for market recognition. The company manufactures, packages, and supplies bakery products to distributors, vending companies and grocery stores. New and increased sales accounts are driving the company’s growth and increased sales. “We are very excited about the potential this new facility gives us to expand our current operations,” states owner Tammy Cannon. “We are also very thankful for the partnership with Burke Development Inc., who we have been working with for the past year on this project. Furthermore, we would like to extend our gratitude to the Town of Rutherford College which has welcomed us into this community with open arms.” Building renovations should begin soon. Once the company is operating out of the new facility they will begin hiring additional associates. The local Employment Security Commission office will be the point of contact for new job opportunities. “We were glad to assist Best Friends Vending, Inc. with this project,” said BDI President Scott Darnell. “I think the Bakery will be a wonderful addition to Rutherford College and am happy to see that it will be a source of new jobs for the community. We look forward to helping more companies like this in the future.”

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Burke Development Incorporated, BDI, is a nonprofit 501c3 organization supported by private and public funding that is charged with accelerating economic growth in Burke County. BDI works with industry leaders, site selection consultants, existing businesses, government agencies and other entities to promote growth, innovation and sustainability in Burke County. For more information about BDI visit www.BurkeDevInc.com.