Pitt County Industry of the Year Awards Presented October 9
Other recognitions included Trailblazer Award and significant anniversaries
Pitt County presented three local businesses with honors at the 31st Annual Existing Industries Reception on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Pitt County Industry of the Year awards went to Beast Industries and North State Steel. The Trailblazer Award went to The Hammock Source.
Hosted by Pitt County Economic Development, the reception was held at the Hilton Greenville, sponsor of the event, along with the Greenville ENC Alliance, Greenville Utilities Commission and ElectriCities of North Carolina. The event was scheduled during National Manufacturing Week, October 3-10 2025, to show appreciation for the positive impacts and accomplishments of local industries. Pitt County Commissioners approved a proclamation on Monday, September 15, 2025 to celebrate National Manufacturing Week.
"It is fitting that we celebrate our existing industries during National Manufacturing Week,"; said Kelly Andrews, Pitt County Economic Development Director. "We can calculate the investments made as well as the taxes and salaries paid, but we cannot begin to put a value on their tremendous impact to our communities and economy."
The Pitt County Industry of the Year; Small Business Award (100 employees or less) recognized North State Steel (NSS), a leader in structural steel fabrication for a wide range of projects from industrial, commercial, and educational buildings to healthcare, entertainment, and mixed-use facilities. Founded by Thomas Trevathan in 1984, the company has earned its reputation for high-quality, on-time fabrication, detailing, and engineering work. NSS has continuously invested in advanced fabrication technologies and has more than doubled sales and production volume since 2020. A 100% employee-owned company since 2018, NSS is currently expanding the Greenville headquarters and adding additional jobs.
The Pitt County Industry of the Year - Large Business Award went to Beast Industries, founded by Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson. Beast Industries is the parent company to MrBeast's wide-ranging ventures, including entertainment, philanthropy and consumer products. Named this year as one of the Time100 Most Influential Companies, it is one of the world's fastest growing entertainment enterprises. Beast Industries, headquartered in Greenville, continues to expand, recently bringing large-scale production to Pitt County. A master of leveraging viral content into consumer brands, MrBeast's name recognition has greatly enhanced the global visibility of Greenville, NC and Pitt County.
For only the second time, Pitt County gave a Trailblazer Award, which is presented to a company that has made significant and long-time contributions in its industry and in our community. For 2025, the award was presented to The Hammock Source. Founded in 1971 by Walter Perkins, Jr., the company is recognized as the world's largest manufacturer and seller of hammocks. Over five decades, the company has grown exponentially and is renowned as a global leader in the causal-furniture and casual-accessories industry. The Hammock Source continues the build on the legacy of its founder, with values including quality, craftmanship and continuous reimagining.
The Existing Industries Reception also recognized Pitt County industries with significant anniversaries, including companies with 5-60 year anniversary milestones. These companies include World Cat (5), DR Burton Healthcare Products (10), Signworks (15), Lunasee (20), Janus Development Group (25), Fuji Silysia Chemical (25), Carolina Vinyl Products (30), Anderson Truss (30), Signs Now (35), Acculink (35), and Eastern Carolina Vocational Center (60).
"We are proud to present these awards to North State Steel, Beast Industries, and The Hammock Source for their undeniable achievements," said Andrews. "As we celebrate all of our industries this National Manufacturing Week, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting them in any way that we can to ensure their continued success."
For more information, contact Pitt County Economic Development at (252) 902-2079.
The Mission of Pitt County Government is to enhance the health, safety, and well-being of our community by advocating for and providing quality services in a friendly and cost-effective manner. Learn more: www.PittCountyNC.gov
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