T&J Produce Inc., located at 1605 Industrial Drive in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, specializes in shipping and selling fresh, quality wholesale produce from their 20,000-square-foot warehouse facility and offices. As a family-owned operation with over 65 years of combined experience in the produce industry, John, Trevor, and Jonah Critcher lead a company founded on hard work, values, ethics, and family. The company has 30 employees who work with local farmers across fourteen U.S. states to deliver produce such as cabbage, corn, potatoes, watermelon, pumpkins, and more to major grocery chains.
On September 8, 2023, T&J Produce acquired 1208 Industrial Park Rd. in Wilkesboro, offering their operations an additional 43,000 square-foot facility. The building has been the home of a sewing operation managed by Shamron Manufacturing. Shamron decided to phase out its sewing operations, moving to a contract-only relationship for supplying garments to their clientele. Wilkes EDC’s relationship with Shamron Manufacturing and awareness of T&J Produce’s need to expand led to introductions and assistance throughout the change of ownership process. Planning allowed Shamron to ensure their 15 employees were connected to local sewing opportunities.
Jonah Critcher stated we are so happy we found a place to stay in Wilkesboro; the Lord has blessed us so much. We have been here a few years and love the area and location. It is a great place to be, and the people and town have been very good to us. LeeAnn especially has helped us and has been wonderful. When we started outgrowing the previous warehouse that we used, LeeAnn went straight to work and helped us so we could stay in Wilkesboro. We have just put in a new potato repacking machine and hopefully will be putting in some coolers. We are very excited to see what is next and so thankful for what the Lord has done for our family.
LeeAnn Nixon, Wilkes EDC’s president, stated, “We are grateful for our relationships with T&J Produce and the Critcher family, as well as Shamron Manufacturing’s owner Ronnye Shamam and her local leadership team. This allowed us the opportunity to assist in a transition that has met the needs of both companies and the future of their employees. We congratulate T&J Produce on their past and future success where their new larger location will allow for continued growth.”
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