OPW Smithfield Manufacturing Facility — Johnston County, North Carolina

OPW is expanding where it already sits. The fueling-equipment manufacturer broke ground July 17 on a 143,940-square-foot, two-story plant directly adjacent to its existing Smithfield operation, rather than chasing an incentive package somewhere else.

Project Scope

ARCO Design/Build is delivering the facility under an integrated design-build contract with One Four Two Architecture on design. Completion is targeted for the second quarter of 2027. OPW, a Dover company with roots going back to 1892, makes retail fueling equipment, containment systems and dispensing products.

The procurement path is worth noting. The job started down a conventional guaranteed-maximum-price route before OPW shifted it to design-build. ARCO won on technical capability, quality and the ability to hold an accelerated schedule. “Our team worked closely with OPW to develop a design-build solution that provided greater confidence around cost, schedule, and overall project delivery,” said Mike Moriarty, ARCO’s director of business development.

ARCO has now completed 22 ground-up projects in Johnston County totaling more than 4.4 million square feet. The firm is a 100% employee-owned ESOP with more than 50 offices.

Why It Matters

Building next door instead of relocating is a signal about labor. A manufacturer with a trained workforce in a specific county will pay a premium in site constraints to avoid rehiring from scratch, and that calculation is showing up more often as skilled production labor tightens.

“Smithfield has been a great home for OPW, and this investment reflects both our confidence in the future and our commitment to the community,” said Greg Kennedy, OPW’s vice president of operations. On the capacity case: “By expanding our manufacturing footprint, we’re creating the capacity needed to support our customers, strengthen our operations, and position the business for continued growth in the years ahead.”

Moriarty put it in regional terms: OPW’s decision “is a strong reflection of both its commitment to Johnston County and the continued momentum of advanced manufacturing across the region.” Johnston County sits inside the Raleigh metro’s industrial expansion band, and 4.4 million square feet from a single contractor is a fair proxy for how much of it has been built out.

Project Team & Details