Rise Baking plans to expand one of its US manufacturing sites while preparing to close another, as the group looks to "optimise" its production network.
In a statement yesterday (12 March), the Minneapolis-headquartered group said it will expand its Pleasant View, Utah, manufacturing facility and close its plant in Kent, Washington.
The expansion will add about 115,000 square feet of manufacturing space at Pleasant View, a site it has operated for more than 30 years.
The facility currently spans more than 142,000 square feet of production and cold-storage space. It primarily manufactures cookies and icings, including the company’s Buttercremes range.
Rise said adding capacity at Pleasant View will help in “streamlining its footprint” to better align with customer demand. Additionally, it will support growth across multiple product categories, including “increased pie production”.
The project will also include “significant infrastructure upgrades” such as wastewater-management improvements and energy-efficiency measures designed to reduce its environmental impact.
The Pleasant View expansion, slated for completion this year, will create about 170 jobs.
Commenting on the move, Rise Baking’s recently appointed CEO Mark McNeil said: “This expansion is about building a smarter, more efficient manufacturing network that better supports our customers today and positions us for the future.
“By further investing in Pleasant View, we're optimising our pie production footprint while creating additional footprint and capacity to support future growth, strengthening our ability to deliver the quality and consistency our customers rely on.”
Meanwhile, as part of the consolidation of manufacturing, the baked-goods group will shutter its Kent plant in the “coming months”.
The company said the decision was taken following “careful consideration” and pledged severance and retention packages linked to length of service for affected employees.
It also plans to provide the impacted staff with “opportunities to pursue other roles” within the business.
Founded in 2013, Rise Baking manufactures cakes, cookies, muffins, icings and pies for in-store bakeries and foodservice customers.
