Halifax County commissioners today agreed to convey land to an undisclosed manufacturing company in an attempt to lure it to the corporate park off Highway 561.

The proposal is currently called Project Kitch and it is considering locating on the site the former Empire Foods showed interest in back in 2010 as well as a solar module company in 2016.

The company is also considering locating outside North Carolina, Economic Development Director Cathy Scott told the board.

The principal incentive being offered the company is lot 1 of the park, which was the site for the proposed Empire Foods, which eventually became entangled in legal issues and never materialized.

SWELECT Energy Systems, which planned to make solar modules, ended up delaying its plans and never built.

Project Kitch, Scott said, is considering building a 100,000 square-foot facility and is considering a $5 million investment and bringing no less than 50 permanent jobs to the county.

The other part of the incentive is to grant the company the right of first refusal on lot 5 in the corporate park.

A public hearing was held on the matter but no one spoke.

In documents related to the public hearing on the matter, it is noted the board last month authorized an application for a One North Carolina grant in the amount of $150,000 in support of the project.

The resolution which the board chose to support says the land currently has a fair market value of $339,600.

The resolution also says the company will pay wages which exceed the current average $15.79 hourly wage in Halifax County.

Lot 1 contains 20.89 acres and lot 5, which adjoins lot 1, contains 13.86 acres.

“It is anticipated that the manufacturing company will make an additional taxable investment including real property improvements, machinery and equipment in Halifax County of not less than $5,000,000,” the resolution says and its location in Halifax County is expected to “stimulate, diversify, and stabilize the local economy, promote business in Halifax County, increase the population and taxable property in Halifax County, and result in the creation of a substantial number of good paying jobs in Halifax County.”

Scott told the board the company looks favorably upon the county and it plans on making a decision on where it locates within the next 30 days. “I think we have a great package to offer the company.”

In her regular report to the board, she said, “I feel very good about it.”