What better way to spend the end of the week than hanging out with a few thousand middle school students?
Our RiverWild team was honored to participate in JoCo Works, an industry-led event for 8th grade students to inspire what’s possible for the future workforce. This in-person career exploration event was set up at Johnston Community College, where over 3,000 young men and women interacted with various industries.
We had a blast talking about the endless possibilities in a construction career, and the impact of choosing the right community for employment. From equipment testing, to prize wheel spinning, to countless questions answered (if you know, you know!) these students explored it all with our crew.
This program honors the area’s most dynamic privately held companies. RiverWild is honored to be one of these “50 companies that are the heartbeat of the Triangle’s growing economy. They are creating jobs, entering new markets and implementing immersive workforce cultures.”
“Jaclyn and I are so proud of our hard-working, tenacious team. Without them the growth and success of our family of brands would have never been possible,” said Reid, Founder and CEO of RiverWild. “Being locally owned and operated is something we’ve always been proud of; living in the community we work in, and being deeply invested in it’s growth and vitality. We’re excited for the days ahead and can’t wait to see where this WILD crew goes next!”
The excitement of our WILD employees filled the kitchen once again this past week. Smiling ear to ear, everyone gathered together to celebrate our second win at the title for Best Places to Work!
Our company is so proud of this achievement and we wanted to recognize not only the award, but how far our family of brands has evolved over the years. Founder and CEO, Reid Smith, shared a message recognizing and congratulating our team on their hard work and dedication.
“If our mission statement is to impact and develop people, then this is something we’ve got to take pride in. To win and do something like this has more to do with you guys than it does anything else.” – Reid Smith
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
“As we say a lot, housing and construction is what we do, but it’s not why we do it” said Reid. “This is why we do it. It’s nice to be here and be able to celebrate it and see it come to fruition. This is why we’re here.”
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’.”
