A company that produces Italian salami and deli meats, Columbus Craft Meats completed a $16 million expansion at the company's state-of-the-art salami curing facility in Hayward, California.

The 10,000 square foot addition increases the company's salami production capacity by 30%. Construction began in February and was commissioned earlier this month.

"We are now the most broadly distributed deli meat brand in the United States and we're excited to see the tremendous growth in our business," says Columbus CEO, Joe Ennen. "This added capacity will assure that even more consumers coast-to-coast will be able to enjoy our premium salami. Further, our expansion not only allows us to meet demand but also to continue developing innovative new products."

Columbus finished its last expansion in early 2015. That build-out boosted available production by more than 50% and almost doubled the size of the Hayward facility. However, capacity was quickly filled as Columbus became the most widely distributed meat brand in delis across the United States.

Similar to 2015, this most recent expansion installed custom, Italian-made equipment to ensure the consistent quality customers have come to expect from Columbus Craft Meats.

This facility also continues to maintain food safety as its highest priority, company officials said. For the last four years, the company's salami curing plant has earned an A or AA rating, the highest rating given, by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), an independent organization that sets the standard for global food safety.