Schwan’s Company, a leading food producer in the United States and subsidiary of South Korean food maker CJ CheilJedang, plans to build a new 400,000-square-foot expansion at its pizza-manufacturing facility in Salina, Kansas. The project will result in up to 225 new, full-time jobs by 2023.

As a part of the newest expansion, the company is adding state-of-the-art production lines and equipment, capable of making more than 100 million pizzas per year. The facility will also include investments in technology and protocols designed to minimize risks during pandemic situations such as COVID-19.

The company already employs 1,125 people at its current 550,000-square-foot production facility and distribution center in Salina. According to company officials, additional projects are planned for the Salina site over the next several years as Schwan’s plans for continued growth in the company’s pizza business, representing an investment of several hundred million dollars in total.

“For 50 years, we have made steady investments in growing our operations in Salina, and our facility eventually became what we believe is the largest pizza production facility in the world,” said CEO Dimitrios Smyrnios. “This new investment in Salina will help ensure that we can achieve our growth plans and continue to provide delicious pizzas to millions of families for decades to come.”

“We are proud of our long-standing commitment to the community of Salina and the state of Kansas. On behalf of everyone at Schwan’s and our parent company, CJ, I want to thank federal, state and local officials in Kansas for their assistance in helping make this expansion a big part of our future. We especially want to thank our employees at the facility for making the highest-quality foods, day in and day out, for the past five decades,” Dimitrios added.

“Schwan’s has been an important economic partner for Salina and our state for half a century now,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “None of this would have been possible without the collaborative effort from Schwan’s Company, our state agencies, and the partnering organizations in Salina. I’m proud to work with this great company to bring new jobs to Kansas.”

“I’m so grateful to Schwan’s for this incredible investment, which signals the trust they have in our state as a strong central location for their business,” Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Kansas is continuing to prove that our persistence and dedication to economic development during this pandemic has been well worth it. Our department is driving full steam into this new normal. We want to show everyone else what Schwan’s has proven they already know, Kansas is an extraordinary and strategic place to do business.”

Founded in 1952, Schwan’s focuses on making pizzas, desserts and Asian-style foods in food-service venues, grocery stores and other retail outlets throughout North America. Schwan’s first began operating a pizza plant in Salina in April 1970.

During Schwan’s ownership of the plant, the facility has grown from just 18,000 square feet to more than 550,000 square feet, including a distribution center that was added in 2006. The facility has seen more than 80 additions over the past five decades.