Pork rinds and savory snacks producer Benestar Brands is launching a project to open a new $24 million production plant in Kings Mountain, NC to expand its presence in the East Coast and support its growing product portfolio, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) announced this week.

“After an extensive search throughout the southeast, we selected Kings Mountain, NC for our newest production facility based on the state’s strong support of the manufacturing industry and talented workforce,” Carl E. Lee Jr., the firm’s chief executive officer, said in a statement. “Over the past year, our company has expanded our portfolio of innovative savory snacks, entering new categories that will be produced at this plant.”

The company’s project is expected to create 129 new jobs, including operations, maintenance, managerial, warehouse, and administrative personnel.

North Carolina’s Economic Investment Committee approved a 12-year Job Development Investment Grant for Benestar Brands that will provide a potential reimbursement of up to $1.2 million over the period based on calculations of tax revenues created by the new positions.

Benestar Brands manufactures pork rinds, pork pellets, cracklins, tortilla chips and other snack products, according to its website.