Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A— Wednesday, May 19, 2021, The True Citizen
Zoning approval brings Little
Spirit Foods to Burke County
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Board of Commission
ers unanimously approved a
zoning request May 11, mak
ing room for Little Spirit Foods
to relocate its food manufactur
ing business to Burke County.
Owners Nevin and Karen
Strite decided during the 2008
recession to do something dif
ferent. Nevin was a construc
tion contractor when the hous
ing market took a dive. The
couple brainstormed business
ventures that would secure
their son Wade’s future. Fie
was bom with down syndrome.
The Strites are directors of the
Augusta CSRA Down Syn
drome Support Group.
“Our dream was that we
could start a business where
we could provide employment
for people with intellectual and
physical disabilities,” Nevin
said. “We just started from
scratch. We didn’t know any
thing about the food business.”
The risk paid off. Little Spirit
has outgrown its current Rich
mond County facility.
“Richmond County has
proved not to be too easy to
deal with,” Nevin said and
stated that zoning restrictions
are holding back his com
pany’s growth. “They didn’t
want to give me an industrial
zoning here.”
The small food manufac
turer bottles sauces and dress
ings. Its most popular item is
strawberry poppyseed salad
dressing.
“Woodside Kitchen is our
brand but we sell a lot of pri
vate label,” Nevin said.
Several area retailers sell
Little Spirit products under
their own labels. The company
also co-packs for other people
who do not have facilities
that meet Department of Ag
riculture requirements. The
company bottled a barbeque
sauce for blueberry farmer
Dick Byne that won the Fla
vor of Georgia contest. The
gourmet dressings and sauces
are created and packaged in
Hephzibah and then shipped to
out-of-state distributors where
they are labeled for individual
retailers.
Now that zoning is not an
issue, Nevin feels comfortable
purchasing the land to relo
cate and expand the company.
Stipulations attached to the
Burke County zoning request
include a facility that is lim
ited to 25,000 square feet and
hours of operation from 6 a.m.
to 6 p.m. The board’s approval
amended the current zoning
of the 25-acre parcel, located
along Highway 25 at Winter
Road, from Agricultural to
Industrial General.
“We can hardly keep up
with orders right now,” Nevin
said and added that the food
manufacturing company is
turning down clients until it
has more space to produce
more product. Nevin expects
to hire a few more employees
once the company relocates.
He said he is unsure of when
construction will begin on the
Burke County facility because
of pandemic-related increased
costs of building materials.
“We will probably close
on the property within 30-60
days,” he said. “I would love
to start on construction as soon
as possible.”
In a letter dated April 19,
Development Authority Execu
tive Director Molly Olson said
Little Spirit Foods’ move to
Burke County adds diversity to
the economy and supports the
agency’s ability to prove the
county is a community where
food manufacturing companies
can succeed.
The small food manufacturer currently bottles sauces and dressings in Hephzibah.
Cash needed for Mad
Anthony’s Big Boom
DIANA ROYAL • jdianaroyal@gmail.com
We’re almost halfway there.
During the last week, donors sent in $1,300 towards Mad
Anthony’s Big Boom Fireworks Extravaganza, bringing
the Downtown Development Authority just a few hundred
dollars shy of the halfway point.
The group is just $5,617 away from its $10,000 goal.
The local fireworks show, which is planned for July 3
at Jonathan Broxton Park, is fully funded by donations
made by businesses and individuals throughout the county.
DDA Director Don Lively encourages everyone to keep
sending in donations. “Our community makes this hap
pen, and we have several weeks left for fundraising,” he
said. “Let’s keep the cash going to ensure another great
hreworks displays.”
WANT TO HELP?
To make a donation, send checks to the City of Waynesboro/
DDA c/o Don Lively 615 N. Liberty St. Waynesboro, GA
30830. For more information call 706.554.8018 or email
dlively@waynesboroga.com.
THIS WEEK’S DONATIONS:
Waynesboro Exchange Club
Tanis Mobley
Farmers Furniture
Steve Bargeron
Cates Firestone
Bill Tinley
Pineland Bakery
Clifford Lewis,in honor
TOTAL
TOTAL TO DATE:
GOAL:
$250
$50
$100
$50
$250
$300
$200
B. Lewis Jr. $100
1,300
$4,383
$10,000
of Preston
NEEDED: $5,617
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