The Healthy School Food Collaborative, a food services company, will expand operations at its facility in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. The $4.6 million project is expected to create 77 jobs over the next five years.

The expansion will allow the company to reach additional markets throughout Louisiana and neighboring states with an array of services ranging from National School Lunch Program consulting and nutrition counseling to food co-packing and meal delivery logistics.

“This is a culmination of over a decade of working in this industry in Louisiana and we look forward to the opportunity to serve the community that has allowed us to grow,” HSFC CEO James A. Graham Jr. said.

To secure the expansion the state offered HSFC a competitive incentive package including the full services of LED FastStart. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Quality Jobs program.

“Announcements like this one are positive not only for our economy but for the public health of our communities as well,” Governor John Bel Edwards noted. “The expansion of the Healthy School Food Collaborative's Pearl River facility will support the company’s mission to provide Louisiana school children and their families with access to balanced, cost-effective meals while also ushering in new opportunities for the state’s food manufacturing industry.”

HSFC plans to open its R&D culinary lab to out-of-state companies looking to develop and produce food products in Louisiana. It will also be made available as an experimental kitchen and co-packing space for local chefs and restaurateurs.

“This expansion from the Healthy School Food Collaboration will increase their ability to serve the needs of companies around southeast Louisiana,” added Michael Hecht, President and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. “As our region’s food and beverage manufacturing industry continues to grow, so have the needs for critical services like those that will be performed at this new facility. This project also aligns well with a shared vision for St. Tammany Parish to evolve into a thriving light-industrial location.”

The Healthy School Food Collaborative's mission is to reduce child and adult obesity by providing students, families and communities access to nutritious and affordable food sources; sustainable, healthy meal choices; and by promoting healthy lifestyles. Services include: Child Nutrition Program Management and Consulting; School Food Authority Formation; Vendor RFP Management; Procurement; Contractual Reviews; Kitchen Facility and Equipment Management.

“Entrepreneurship and innovation are pillars of an effective and robust economic development strategy,” St. Tammany Corporation CEO Chris Masingill said. “The Healthy School Food Collaborative will be increasing much needed co-manufacturing, co-packing, and cold storage options on the North Shore, and creating new quality jobs in a high-demand industry for our area residents. Exceptional projects like this reinforce that St. Tammany continues to be the destination of choice for businesses.”