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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Unique Pretzels Begins Construction On Manufacturing Center and Warehouse in Reading, Pennsylvania

11/26/2012
Unique Pretzels Bakery, Inc. plans to begin construction on a new 36,000 square foot manufacturing plant and 37,500 square foot warehouse expansion that will bring at least 24 new jobs to Reading, Pennsylvania.

The firm’s expansion includes the addition of new baking ovens provided by Reading Bakery Systems and state of the art processing. The expansion will take place at a 4.6-acre site on the north side of Unique Pretzel's existing facility near the intersection of East Bellevue Avenue and Plaza Drive in Muhlenberg Township.

As an incentive the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development approved the tax-exempt loan application in September. A $8.5 million tax-exempt loan was provided by Customers Bank.

"Governor Corbett is committed to transforming state government from a barrier to a partner working together with business to grow jobs in Pennsylvania," said state Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker. "We are very pleased to provide the necessary certification for this important project that will create 24 new jobs and enable Unique Pretzel to continue to have a positive economic impact on the Reading area."

William P. Spannuth, Chief Financial Officer for Unique Pretzels and a sixth generation member of the 120-year old family business, said the timing couldn't be better. "Our 'problem' was the growing demand for our products that was outpacing our ability to manufacture them. Customers Bank helped us put together a loan application package in conjunction with the Berks County Industrial Development Authority to try to get the tax-exempt financing we needed to expand our production capacity,” he added.

"We are happy to be a part of a project that we think will provide important dividends to the economic health of this region," said Richard Ehst, President and Chief Operating Officer at Customers Bank in a prepared statement. "This was truly a team effort from the folks at Unique Pretzels, to the Berks County Industrial Development professionals, to the officials at the state Department of Community and Economic Development. And we had one common goal to create opportunities for new growth and new jobs.”

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