McKee Foods has committed US$50m towards doubling the size of its Apison plant in Collegedale, thus generating at least 175 jobs.
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The food manufacturer, best known for its Little Debbie snack cakes, says the investment will increase capacity and provide for new products.
McKee Foods chief executive officer Jack McKee said: “We could have built the expansion in another state where we already have a similar operation. We chose Collegedale for several reasons including the strong labour market, the central location to the market we want to serve, and the fact that the Chattanooga area has been a great place to do business ever since my parents opened their first bakery in Chattanooga in 1934.”
McKee Foods also produces Sunbelt brand snacks and cereals, Heartland brand granola cereals, pie crusts and snack bars and Blinks, a blend of chips and cereal billed as “breakfast in a bag”. The company has more than 3,100 employees and annual sales of more than US$1bn, with production facilities in Collegedale, Chattanooga, Gentry, AR, Stuarts Draft, VA and Kingman, AZ.
“McKee Foods stands as a cornerstone of one of our region’s primary industries – the food and beverage industry,” said Chattanooga mayor Ron Littlefield. “That the company chose to expand here is indicative of the community’s business-friendly stance, the quality of our workforce and our robust local economy.”
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