Area Development
Maplehurst Bakeries, LLC, a manufacturer and seller of frozen bakery products for in-store and food service bakeries, plans to expand its Lebanon, Indiana, production facility, creating up to 219 new jobs by 2017.

The division of Canada-based Weston Foods will invest $77.8 million to renovate and equip a new 180,000 square-foot facility in Lebanon. The new facility, which is expected to be operational in March 2015, will house the company’s warehouse, distribution and manufacturing operations for its cake and cupcake products.

Maplehurst Bakeries, which currently has more than 1,000 employees across the country, including more than 300 full-time employees in Indiana, plans to begin hiring in the beginning of December.

“This new state-of the-art plant will give Maplehurst Bakeries the added capacity to better serve our North American customers with a wider product assortment of cakes,” said Kevin McDonough, President of Maplehurst Bakeries’ Weston Food’s frozen division.

Founded in 1967, Maplehurst Bakeries produces frozen bakery products, including donuts, pies, cupcakes, cake, rye bread, sweet goods and gluten-free baked goods, for in-store and food service bakeries. With products sold in North American grocery retailers, supermarket chains and foodservice outlets, the company currently operates facilities in Washington, New Hampshire, New York, Georgia, Illinois and Indiana.

As an incentive, Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Maplehurst Bakeries, LLC up to $1,075,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. In addition, the city of Lebanon will consider additional tax abatement at the request of the Boone County Economic Development Corporation.