Bonduelle USA has announced that it will invest $20 million to expand frozen vegetable production capacity at three plants in upstate New York acquired from Siloam Springs, Arkansas-based Allen’s, Inc. in 2012. Installation of new equipment and an anticipated addition of 22 jobs to the current 340-person workforce are included in upgrade plans for factories in Bergen, Oakfield and Brockport. The project is scheduled for completion by June of next year.
“Bonduelle is encouraged and excited to continue its business growth in the United States, in which our New York plants play an integral part,” said President Daniel Vielfaure. “We are very pleased for the support and the commitment that the state has for all agricultural businesses, and we look forward to their continued support.”
The company’s Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada-based unit, a member of the Villeneuve d’Ascq, France-headquartered Bonduelle Group, purchased the Allen’s facilities in New York as well as a plant in Fairwater, Wisconsin, five years ago as part of a program to enhance production capacity in North America.
More recently, Bonduelle acquired Irwindale, California-based Ready Pac Foods, which specializes in supplying fresh-cut vegetables, fruits, salad bowls and snacks to retail and foodservice customers. Founded in 1969, it employs approximately 3,500 people who primarily work at four production plants in California, Georgia and New Jersey.
Bonduelle’s New York operations produce a wide variety of frozen vegetables including green beans, peas, carrots, squash, lima beans and corn. At the moment, the Bergen facility alone is reportedly capable of packing upwards of 50,000 pounds of peas, 44,000 pounds of cut corn, 35,000 pounds of carrots, and 9,000 pounds of green beans per hour during peak production periods.
In addition to the US plants and seven factories in Canada, the Bonduelle Group operates more than 40 other facilities in Europe, Russia and Brazil that pack more than 500 frozen, canned and fresh SKUs for retail, foodservice and industrial customers. Annual sales last year reached EUR 1.968 billion.
As well as supplying major retail private label accounts, the company markets vegetables under proprietary labels Arctic Gardens, Cassegrain and Globus in addition to namesake Bonduelle.
