Golden State Foods started construction on its new 165,000 square-foot, state of the art $63 million meat processing facility in Opelika, Alabama. Being built in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park, the project is expected to create 173 new jobs.

According to Mark Wetterau, Chairman/CEO, Golden State Foods Corp., “We are thrilled to become a part of the Opelika community, a wonderful city that shares our common values. We started as a small meat company in Los Angeles nearly seven decades ago, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our 70th anniversary next year than with the opening of this meat plant in Opelika! We appreciate the solid partnership of the local civic leadership, and we look forward to providing jobs and community engagement, which is a long-term investment for us.”

Golden State Foods is one of the largest diversified suppliers to the Quick Service Restaurant and retail industries. Established in 1947, GSF currently services more than 125,000 restaurants from its 45 locations on five continents. With approximately 6,000 associates worldwide, GSF’s core businesses include: liquid products, meat products, produce, dairy, and distribution services, providing a variety of networked solutions for the total supply chain spectrum.

Mayor Gary Fuller stated, “Today is another great day in the City of Opelika as we welcome our new partner, Golden State Foods. We know they will provide great opportunities for our citizens and be a true community partner.” Secretary Canfield extended greetings and congratulations from Governor Bentley and said, “Alabama’s economic development team works hard every day to bring great companies like Golden State Foods to our state, and we’ll continue to support this significant project in Opelika to build on the partnership we’ve developed with the company."