US food business Conagra Brands has announced plans to spend more than US$100m expanding a meat snacks facility.
The Chicago-based company – behind brands such as Birds Eye, Duncan Hines and Marie Callender’s – is to invest the money in its Troy, Ohio, plant where its meat-snacks brands Slim Jim and Duke’s Smoked Sausages are made.
Conagra said expansion of the facility is needed to meet growing demand for the products. It added 200 new jobs will be created as a result.
The company is adding 63,000 sq ft of production area, equipment for new packaging capabilities to enable new product formats, new smokehouses, and drying rooms. The project is expected to be completed in December this year.
Earlier this month, Conagra announced plans to launch more than two dozen new products across multiple brands. These included Slim Jim Original N’ Cheese 10-Pack, Slim Jim Pork Rinds, available in two flavours.
The planned new product development also included alternative meat-free protein snacks including Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Jerky.
