Neeses sued over unpaid bill. Company officials remain mum on future of popular sausage-maker

A packaging supplier is suing Neese's Country Sausage Inc. of Greensboro for an unpaid bill of more than $31,000, court records say.

Nathan D. Robinson of Raleigh, the attorney for Packaging Corporation of America, filed the lawsuit on May 7 in Guilford Superior Court.

Neese's owes PCA $31,578 for packaging its sausage and liver pudding products from Aug. 24, 2025 to May 4, according to the lawsuit.

PCA, whose headquarters is in Columbus, Wis., also wants the court to allow it to recover $3,940 of interest on the unpaid bill, the lawsuit said.

The Greensboro company's failure to pay PCA constitutes a breach of contract, according to the lawsuit.

The unpaid bill is "an unjust enrichment" for Neese's officials, who have benefited at the PCA's expense, the lawsuit said.

Robinson couldn't be immediately reached Friday for comment on the legal action.

Thomas Neese III, Neese's chief executive and president, also couldn't be reached Friday for comment on the lawsuit or the status of his company, which has a plant at 452 Alamance Church Road.

Neese's products have been a local food staple since its founding in 1917, when the company sold supplies from a covered wagon.

Shoppers and restaurants have reported having problems finding Neese's products since late last year.

The shortage is related to a U.S. Department of Agriculture statement in December 2025 regarding a Food Safety and Inspection Service notice of suspension on Sept. 11, 2025, which affected a specific production area.

According to the notice, "a determination (was made) that the establishment was not meeting the requirements of (federal food regulation) … for its ready-to-eat processes," according to a USDA statement to news media outlets.

The federal regulation cited involves requirements for controlling listeria contamination in ready-to-eat foods, including already-cooked meat products.

The liver mush and liver pudding production areas are those affected by the shutdown.

"The establishment has responded to the Notice of Suspension, which is under review," according to the USDA statement.

Company officials have said very little about the situation.

Earlier this month, Greensboro TV station WFMY quoted Thomas Neese III as saying, "I am sorry for the delay in responding. I am unable to comment at this time. As soon as I am able to do so, I will let you know."

As of Friday, the company hadn't requested that inspectors return to the plant, meaning production cannot resume, an USDA spokesman told the News & Record.

A potential complication for the company is the death on April 3 of Thomas Neese Jr., the company's longtime president and chief executive, at age 92.

According to his obituary in the Greensboro News & Record, Thomas Neese Jr. joined the family business in 1966 and "for more than 60 years, Tom kept a detailed paper chart of weekly hog costs, which is still referred to today."

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