Litehouse Inc., a producer of refrigerated food products, will invest $40 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Hurricane, Utah. The company plans to hire up to 165 jobs during the next eight years.

The company produces and markets refrigerated food products such as salad dressing, cheese, sauces, and dips, with an ever-expanding product portfolio and national distribution. As of 2014, the company has been 100 percent employee-owned.

“Our goal is to continue to add jobs to the communities that have helped us grow into a dominant leader in our industry” said Jim Frank, Litehouse CEO. “We are so pleased to announce our expansion in Hurricane and we look forward to being a strong partner to the community that has been so supportive of Litehouse.”

As an incentive, Litehouse Foods may earn up to 20 percent of the new state taxes they will pay over the eight-year life of the agreement in the form of a post-performance Economic Development Tax Increment Finance (EDTIF) tax credit rebate. As part of the contract with Litehouse, the GOED Board of Directors has approved a post-performance tax credit rebate not to exceed $346,763. Each year as Litehouse Foods meets the criteria in its contract with the state, it will earn a portion of the total tax credit rebate.

“We’re happy that Litehouse is finding success and will be expanding their presence in Washington County,” said Jeriah Threlfall, Executive Director of St. George Area Economic Development. “We are not surprised they are succeeding. Litehouse is a great company and Hurricane City is an excellent place to do business.”