Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing Center to become a nonpro?t

In a small business incubator in eastern Hillsborough, local businesses produce everything from specialized diet soups to pickled bamboo.

For more than a year, the Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing Center has provided equipment and production space to local businesses.

But come this summer, the center — which was started in October 2011 as part of an initiative between Alamance, Chatham, Durham and Orange counties — will be a nonprofit independent from county guidance and funding.

The initial startup cost of about $1.4 million and was covered by seven grants.

Since then, the center has run on funding from the county and member fees. In the 2012-13 fiscal year, Orange County provided about $150,000 to the center.

Once the center becomes a nonprofit, it will run solely on hourly member fees.

Matthew Roybal, the center’s executive director, said the plan has always been for the facility to become a nonprofit.

“Counties aren’t designed to run food facilities,” Roybal said. “It complicates their operations dramatically.”

Now that decisions will be made by the center’s board, Roybal said things will run much more smoothly for its businesses.

“The decisions that we’re asking from (the counties) and the decisions they give us has been very difficult for both sides,” he said.

“It’s just reinforced that the best thing for us is to transition to nonprofit.”

Roybal said the facility is used by a variety of local businesses for many reasons.

“It’s a variety, it’s all over the place, and it’s truly only limited by the creativity of the people,” he said.

Roybal said about 50 percent of the center’s clients are farmers starting food businesses.

He said the center offers general guidance to new business owners and promotes good business and accounting practices.

The space is also home to well-established companies.

LunaPops, a local company that has been producing all-natural, artisan ice pops since 2008, closed its store last year and moved all operations to the center.

“The whole concept of what PFAP is about is just wonderful,” said LunaPops office manager Sue Ellsworth.

“To encourage small businesses — to help them with the needs that they have.”

Baguettaboutit, a food truck that began in 2011, also runs its operations out of the center.

Laura Tapp, who owns Vintage Bee, a raw honey company that runs all operations out of the facility, said the transition to nonprofit won’t affect her business at all.

“Absolutely nothing is going to be different for us except for the flow is going to be easier,” she said.

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.