Food manufacturer Five Star Custom Foods will invest $20 million over the next three years to locate a plant in Nashville, Tennessee. The Tennessean reports that the Texas-headquartered company will initially employ between 70 and 100 workers at the new plant and expects employment to eventually reach 250. Jeff Bledsoe, the company's president, tells the Tennessean that the availability of a vacant former foodservice distribution location and the state's business-friendly environment were key factors in the location decision. "We felt like the potential work force was attractive, and geographically the location is efficiently located close to raw material sources and our customers," he says. Five Star manufactures meat, sauces, and non-meat products for brand name manufacturers and restaurant chains; this is the company's first expansion outside of Texas. The Tennessean says the company is expected to receive incentives that include training assistance, tax breaks, and energy credits that could total more than $3 million. The plant is expected to open by late fall.
