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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

California Custom Fruits and Flavors Plans Midwest Manufacturing Hub in Greenwood, Indiana

04/24/2019
California Custom Fruits and Flavors Inc., a food processing company that develops and manufactures custom value-added fruit and flavor ingredients for the dairy, bakery, beverage and food service industries, plans to establish its first Midwest manufacturing operations in Greenwood, Indiana.

The company, which is based in the Los Angeles area, plans to invest more than $11 million to construct, equip and furnish a 65,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the Greenwood Park at 65 South.

The new facility will allow California Custom Fruits and Flavors to increase its production capacity of processed fruit for yogurt, bakery fillings and other foods and will also place the company in closer proximity to its Midwest clients. Construction is planned to begin June 1, and the new facility is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of next year.

California Custom Fruits and Flavors, which currently employs just under 100 employees at its West Coast headquarters and manufacturing facility, plans to create up to 24 new full-time positions in Indiana by 2023. The company will be hiring for a manager, factory lead, sanitation worker, quality control associate, administrative associate, manufacturing associates and material handlers.

"After much research, it became evident that Indiana was the best business and tax environment of any Midwest state within the region we were searching," said James Fragnoli, CFO of California Custom Fruits and Flavors. "Additionally, Indiana has the most favorable workers’ compensation rates and most highways and byways of any state in the Midwest. Greenwood is the perfect location within the Indianapolis area to set up our new facility."

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered California Custom Fruits and Flavors Inc. up to $160,000 in conditional tax credits 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. The city of Greenwood approved additional incentives at the request of the Johnson County Development Corporation.

“We’re thrilled to welcome California Custom Fruits and Flavors to the Hoosier state,” said Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indiana Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Our state’s business-friendly atmosphere and diverse agriculture industry, combined with a sophisticated transportation network, makes Indiana an excellent destination for their first Midwest operation.”

“This is a great win for Greenwood and continues our city’s significant economic development momentum,” said Greenwood Mayor Mark W. Myers. “Greenwood enjoys one of the most accessible locations in the country, with skilled labor and several shovel-ready sites available for development. California Custom Fruits and Flavors adds to the broad diversity of industries represented in Greenwood, and we’re pleased to welcome such a successful family-owned business to our community.”

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