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YADKINVILLE, N.C. – The unemployment rate in Yadkin County has nearly doubled over the last year, but now, thanks to a world renowned snack maker, more than 200 jobs will be making their way to the state.

"This is a big deal for a small county, this is a big deal for anyone. We were successful in recruiting a major food processing company, which will diversify our manufacturing base," said Yadkin County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bobby Todd.

Nonni's Food Company, which makes bagel chips, biscotti and pita chips, announced Wednesday that its upcoming Yadkin County plant will bring 172 new full-time positions, as well as another 50 to 100 temporary jobs to the area.

"The good news about N.C. today is we've got some issues, but we've got between five and six of these announcements between the next week, so we're getting some activity here in North Carolina, new companies are coming here," N.C. Secretary of Commerce J. Keith Crisco said.

Nonni's, which bought the former T-4 Unifi Inc. textiles plant back in December, is now working to make the 400,000 square foot facility more energy efficient.

"Even though it is expensive to convert a building like this, and our piece of it is about $10 million to convert this building. We would have had a higher expense in equipment purchase on top of that when you try to build a building," Plant Manager Tom Sparks said.

And the entire process will take place in the plant, which is the seventh of its kind in the country.

Not only will the food be made there, but it will also be packaged and then distributed throughout the country.

"We plan to have the first line ready to run by the end of August of this year. And then the second line will be up and running in September and we will be bringing in more lines in 2010, the first half of 2010," said Sparks.

The snack maker will host a job fair on May 8 to help fill the vacant positions. It will run from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Yadkin Campus of Surry Community College.

Nonni is looking to fill a number of full and part-time seasonal positions that range in pay from $9 an hour to around $20 an hour.