An animal-feed manufacturer has snapped up a 30,000-square-foot industrial building in eastern North Carolina for $3.2 million, roughly four times what the property sold for in 2021. The deal marks a steep jump for a modest manufacturing site and highlights how hungry investors still are for small industrial properties near the Triangle. The buyer is Kalmbach Feeds, a family-owned feed company based in Ohio.
According to Triangle Business Journal, the 30,000-square-foot facility traded for $3.2 million after having sold for about $800,000 in 2021. The outlet reports that Kalmbach Feeds has completed the purchase and is still working out exactly how it will use the space. A fourfold jump in value over five years would be eye-catching for almost any property, let alone a relatively small industrial building.
Why Investors Are Paying Up
Raleigh-Durham and nearby markets continue to see demand for industrial and light-manufacturing space even as a wave of new construction hits the market, according to Colliers' Q1 2026 Raleigh-Durham industrial report. Steady leasing and strong pre-leasing for new projects have kept pressure on well-located smaller buildings, which remain appealing to regional operators and logistics users. That backdrop helps explain why a 30,000-square-foot plant in eastern North Carolina would land on the radar of an expanding buyer.
What Kalmbach Might Do Next
Kalmbach Feeds describes itself as a family-owned animal-nutrition company with multiple manufacturing sites and packaging operations, according to the company's website. A building of this size could fit roles such as bagging, storage or use as a regional distribution hub, functions Kalmbach has pursued in other expansions, although the company has not committed to any specific plan here. Triangle Business Journal reports that Kalmbach is still determining how it will operate the Wilson site.
What It Means For Wilson
Even relatively modest industrial users can bring jobs and steadier tax revenue to communities like Wilson, which has been actively courting manufacturing and life-science projects in recent years. Local economic development groups, such as the Wilson Economic Development Council, have highlighted training programs and recent investments that aim to make the county more attractive to manufacturers and distributors. If Kalmbach launches operations there, it could tap that local workforce and plug into existing supply chains.
Bottom Line
The $3.2 million purchase is a reminder that smaller industrial properties have turned into prized assets as regional demand for logistics and light manufacturing stays strong. Whether this deal is a one-off spike or part of a broader run-up in values should become clearer with any new permit filings, job postings and company statements that surface in the weeks ahead.
