A $28 million expansion and upgrading of the Heinz Frozen Food Co. factory in Massillon, Ohio, USA, is expected to be complete in September. The facility reportedly began running Ore-Ida Fries on a new packaging line last week.
In addition to retail packs of french fries and other value-added potato products, the plant produces Smart Ones entrees and snacks under the Weight Watchers sub brand, T.G.I. Fridays frozen entrees and dips, and Heinz soups. Plans call for adding Smart Ones lasagna to the mix later this year, after two additional production lines are installed.
Heinz Frozen Food Co., a unit of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-headquartered H.J. Heinz Company, makes 95 different kinds of ready meals, side dishes and desserts at the plant. More than 67,500 master cases containing 17 million packages are produced there per year.
The expansion has added over 21,000 square feet to the 506,626 square foot production facility, which is situated on a 23.5-acre property. Some 467 persons are employed at the site, and more than 200 new jobs are likely to be added over next few years.
Heinz is bolstering operations in Ohio partly as a result of the closure of processing plants during recent years in Florence, South Carolina, Pocatello, Idaho, and Kent, Washington. As an incentive for the company to invest further in Massillon, and thus stimulate the local economy, the city government granted it a nine-year job creation tax credit.
