What began as questions on how to get rid of excess cardboard at its Hopkinsville Street location has turned into a $10 million investment as Porter Road Butcher Meats cut the ribbon on its new Masonic Drive facility Thursday.
The 28,000-square-foot facility is expected to boost the company’s production capacity from the current 7,000-square foot building.
Princeton Mayor Kota Young said the initial discussion for a new location was the result of getting rid of cardboard from the original site.
click to download audioPorter Road was founded by Carter and James Peisker nearly 10 years ago. The former chefs began smoking and serving a pig at a Nashville farmer’s market. That idea morphed into a butcher shop that is still in business on Gallatin Road.
James Peisker said while scouting locations in Princeton, they were excited to learn that Newsom’s Hams were located in the same town and said they still stop and get a prosciutto sandwich every time they visit. He said that’s part of the reason why they chose Caldwell County.
click to download audioPorter Road went online in 2017 and provides products to more than 70 restaurants in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman was on hand for the ribbon-cutting as part of a swing through western Kentucky. The Mercer County native grew up in Burgin, a town of fewer than 1,000 people. She said economic announcements like these hold a special place for her.
click to download audioThe new facility is expected to generate around 80 new jobs at various wage levels with a focus on the production staff, such as butchers and packaging and shipping positions. Porter Road employs 42 people at its Hopkinsville Street location.
Caldwell County Judge-executive Larry Curling said a business with the notoriety of Porter Road expanding is a good thing for the community.
click to download audioThe project was initially announced in June 2020 and gives Porter Road a larger state-of-the-art cutting room and expanded packaging and shipping capabilities. Porter Road anticipates the company will invest approximately $12 million into local, pasture-based agriculture over the next 12 months.
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PHOTO GALLERY – Porter Road Meats Ribbon Cutting
