Kraft Heinz is planning to expand its cream cheese manufacturing facility in Lowville, which will see 100 new employees being hired over the next five years.
Currently, the Lowville plant, which makes Philadelphia brand cream cheese, employs 340 people. The Lewis County managere Liz Swearingin said that the expansion plan will also provide a boost to those dairy farmers who sell milk to the plant.
He was quoted by WSKG News as saying: "When you think about not only the jobs at the plant but the dairy farms that will potentially be supporting them and all these subsidiary businesses that support the agriculture industry that all around it's a very positive move for the county."
The company is currently in discussions with the Lowville's planning commission to get the required approvals for the expansion.
The expansion comes days after the food processing company announced closure of seven factories and cut 2,600 jobs. The decision to close the factories came after a detailed review of the company's North American supply chain footprint, and utilization of capacities.
The company is also planning to shut its meat processing plant in Davenport in Iowa and shift its production to a new facility that will be built in a closeby location, CNBC reported.
However, the company's senior vice president said that the company will make huge investments in modernizing several of itsfacilities and enhance capacities with installation of modern production lines. Lowville could probably be part of this plan.
Kraft Heinz was formed in July to become the third largest food and beverage firm in North America and potentially fifth largest in the world. The combined company was expected to have revenue of about $28bn with 13 brands including Heinz, Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Ore-Ida and Philadelphia, among others.
Image: Kraft Heinz to expand its cheese manufacturing facility. Photo: Courtesy of Dino De Luca/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
