Wilders, a RiverWild company, purchases 1,200 acre ranch in Sampson County, N.C., to raise ethically-sourced Wagyu and livestock
CLAYTON, N.C. (February 2, 2021) – Wilders, a new agricultural venture to supply locally grown, ethically sourced, and sustainably produced meat products, today announced the recent purchase of the Longhorn Creek Ranch in Turkey, N.C. Plans for the approximate 1,200 acres include pasture-raised livestock, Wagyu beef, and premium Wagyu genetics.
“Having grown up in Eastern North Carolina, I have a deep appreciation for the hard-working men and women who have made our agriculture what it is today,” says Reid Smith, founder of Wilders. “Feeding your family healthy food shouldn’t be difficult. But with so many jobs and businesses going overseas, it gets harder every day to find healthy and sustainable products that are grown locally and fuel the local economy.”
Reid Smith is the founder and CEO of Clayton-based RiverWild in Clayton, N.C., along with his wife, Jaclyn. Wilders is a subsidiary of RiverWild and marks the organization’s first agricultural venture after primarily focusing on real estate, construction and development.
“Our aim is to steward the land, people, and animals in our care to provide the best quality products while maintaining responsible and sustainable business models,” said Reid. “This effort to preserve our agricultural heritage has been a long time dream of mine and Jaclyn’s, and we’re excited about what the future holds.”
“Growing our farm over the past two years has only deepened our family’s appreciation for agriculture and farming. We work hard to ensure that our animals receive the best quality care, from ethical treatment standards to sustainable farming methods, to the extra love and attention our kids give the animals on family farm workdays,” said Jaclyn Smith, Founder, Wilders. “We’ve found a tremendous opportunity to revive the Sampson County ranch to establish Wilders operations and look forward to introducing our online market in the New Year.”
Wilders moved its livestock onto the new property in December, which includes pasture-raised chickens, Berkshire hogs, certified Angus and Wagyu cattle. A large sector of the farm operation is the herd of Fullblood Black Wagyu. Wilders intends to become a major distributor of authentic Japanese Wagyu genetics for the East Coast in addition to the e-commerce meat sales.
“We are excited to see the growing investments in the Wagyu breed. This herd will expand availability of fullblood Wagyu on the East Coast, and we look forward to seeing it grow,” said Robert Williams, Executive Director, American Wagyu Association.
“We are always excited when an innovative farm family works hard to expand the reach of North Carolina beef production.”
-Brian Blinson, NC Cattlemen’s Association
“I am proud to see continued investment in North Carolina’s number one industry – agriculture,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “North Carolina has tremendous agricultural diversity and the Wilders venture will certainly add to that diversity and move us closer to reaching the $100 billion mark in economic impact.”
While the ratio of small farms to major operations in North Carolina has shifted in recent years, agriculture is still a major contributor to North Carolina’s economy, contributing $92.7 billion.
For more information about Wilders farm, meat products, and cattle, visit https://wilders.com.
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About Wilders
Wilders is a locally owned and operated farm and e-commerce market in Sampson County, N.C. We source the best quality for your family so you never have to worry about what’s in the food you eat. Our products are locally grown, ethically sourced, and sustainability produced, never sacrificing quality for convenience. The hard working men and women of Wilders brands take pride in doing business the WILD way: with a will to win, we intentionally adapt while living compassionately with disciplined execution. To learn more, visit https://wilders.com.
CLAYTON, NC (December 16, 2021) RiverWild today announced that they will be developing the approved Marin Woods subdivision in Smithfield, NC. The 32 Acre walkable community will consist of 49 single family homes and 92 townhomes, as well as a centralized pocket park with a tot lot and nature trails.
Marin Woods will provide a variety of home types for the growing workforce in Smithfield. Construction is expected to begin late 2022 or early 2023 and will be done in collaboration with Hearth Pointe Development, Providence Construction, and One27 Homes.
“As Johnston County and the larger Triangle region continues to grow, it’s critical that the workforce is supported by housing and lifestyle amenities that help them plant roots,” said Reid Smith, Founder and CEO of RiverWild.
“We are thrilled to be back in the Smithfield community with this project. We enjoyed working with the Town of Smithfield during our East River development, so when this opportunity presented itself, we knew we wanted to get involved” said Reid. “Andy Moore and his council are doing a great job creating opportunities for the community of Smithfield to thrive.”
“Marin Woods subdivision will provide much needed inventory amidst a tight housing market,” said Jaclyn Smith, Founder of Jaclyn Smith Properties. “Fortune recently reported that we are ranked in the top 3 real estate markets in the nation. With new growth and expansion announcements every week, it’s more important than ever that we have space for people to call this community ‘home’.”
Raleigh, NC, July 14, 2021 – RiverWild was announced as one of the Triangle Business Journal’s 2021 Best Places to Work.
You could almost feel a tangible sense of pride and overwhelming joy in our offices the morning of the announcement. The kitchen was bursting with smiles and chatter as Founder and CEO, Reid Smith, congratulated our team on being men and women worth recognizing. It was a moment of triumphant celebration recognizing not only the award, but just how far our family of brands has come.
“Seven years ago when Jaclyn and I started the company, we did it with a heart of wanting to do it differently. Not really knowing where that would take us or lead us, but just wanting to do it differently for the people we love and the people we work with. Our mission to impact and develop people has been there from day one and is something we’ve been passionate about the whole time.”
This award recognizes companies that received high marks in areas such as team effectiveness, trust with co-workers, manager effectiveness and work engagements. The winners were chosen based on an employee-survey process conducted by Quantum Workplace. Once nominated, a company had to meet a threshold in employee participation – a percentage that varies based upon the size of the company – to be eligible to be honored. Companies receive this award because their organization
“This is an award for you guys” said Reid at a company celebration. “Y’all are the best part about this place and the best parts of what we get to do every day. I’m proud of our team and want to congratulate you for creating a culture worth recognizing”
RiverWild is pleased to announce that on Monday, April 5, the Clayton Town Council reviewed and unanimously approved the Riverwood Golf Section Two development. The walkable community will consist of 726 residential units (432 single family lots, 74 townhome lots, and 220 apartments) and will include an amenity center and golf course maintenance facility.
This development will provide a variety of housing options that meet the needs of executive and local workforce in accordance with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The 300 acre site includes 81+ acres of open space, providing abundant recreational and lifestyle amenities throughout.
“Having grown up in this community and now raising a family here, it is a true honor to create opportunities for people to call Clayton home. As Johnston County continues to grow, it’s critical that the workforce is supported by housing and lifestyle amenities that help them plant roots and continue to contribute to our thriving community” said Reid Smith, Founder and CEO of RiverWild
“This project will bring dynamic solutions to needs that our community has expressed. We worked hard to develop a plan that would provide a walkable community with a variety of housing options, lot sizes, and desirable amenities” said Dave DeYoung, Director of Development. “This community will offer opportunities for large and small families with various income levels and at different stages in life to call Clayton home.”
“As Johnston County continues to grow, so does the need for workforce housing. With companies like Grifols, Novo Nordisk, Caterpillar and others across the County announcing expansions and new investment, it is critical that all of our towns are able to secure diverse housing options that range from executive style homes to workforce housing” added Chris Johnson, Director of Johnston County Economic Development. “This is something that Johnston County lacked until recently. Residential development is one of Johnston County’s six cylinders of economic development. Communities with diverse amenities and recreational lifestyles that families are seeking across the Triangle region, will position those to meet the growth Johnston County is seeing and will continue to witness.”
“We can’t wait to get started on this project. We’ve been working hard on this development for quite some time, collaborating with the local community and great partners to deliver a product that we believe will make a difference.” – Reid Smith, Founder and CEO of RiverWild
Riverwood Golf Section Two is set to begin construction in late 2021 or early 2022.
The Triangle Business Journal featured Reid and Jaclyn Smith in the October 2020 edition of Executive Voice: The couple behind Johnston County’s explosive home growth
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Reid Smith said. “We’ve definitely not been able to do this without a lot of great people. We’ve learned a lot with them. Clearly the population has changed, but the cultures and the values and the people are still the same – and we fight hard to keep that culture alive and that small-town feel,” he said. “Even though it’s a little more populated, it’s still the same county I grew up in.”
