Wow Bao invests $6.45M to open Asian street food manufacturing facility in North Carolina
Wow Bao has announced plans to open its first company-operated manufacturing facility in Forest City, North Carolina.
The company, which produces bao (steamed buns), potstickers, soup dumplings, and other Asian-inspired food, has invested $6.45 million into the project and will create 88 new jobs.
The new facility will increase Wow Bao’s production capacity to meet growing nationwide demand. The company will modernize its operations and streamline distribution from the Forest City site, helping to ship products across the country.
Job opportunities at the facility will include roles such as maintenance engineers, production supervisors, and sanitation associates. The average annual salary for these positions will be $49,648, which is higher than the Rutherford County average of $46,673.
Wow Bao will receive support from the One North Carolina Fund through a performance-based grant of $180,000. This grant will assist with the company’s relocation to North Carolina and requires local government matching funds, as well as fulfillment of job creation and investment goals.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, Matt Fallon, CFO, Wow Bao, said, “Wow Bao is thrilled to bring our operations to Forest City. With a world-class workforce and vibrant food and beverage industry, it became clear that Forest City and the State of North Carolina were the perfect home for this exciting phase of Wow Bao’s expansion. We are excited to begin cooking up America’s Number One Bao in Forest City and shipping it out to the rest of the country. We’re grateful for the support of Governor Stein, and our many partners throughout North Carolina, and we look forward to joining the community and catapulting this great brand forward.”
Governor Josh Stein, added, “North Carolina welcomes Wow Bao to our state where businesses find a strong infrastructure and ready workforce. Wow Bao’s decision to expand here strengthens our state's vibrant food industry and brings new opportunities and jobs to Rutherford County.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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