Consultants Forum Advertise
Subscribe
Close

  • Free for qualified executives and consultants to industry

  • Receive quarterly issues of Area Development Magazine and special market report and directory issues

Subscribe Now
Renew

Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Pod Pack International Plans $10.1 Million Expansion At Its Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Operations Hub

05/21/2014
Pod Pack International Ltd., a manufacturer of espresso pods, one-cup coffee pods and other single-cup coffee systems, plans a $10.1 million, 75,000-square-foot, expansion at the company’s manufacturing facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The company will also install new equipment to expand its production of compostable coffee and tea pods. In addition to retaining 19 employees at the facility, the company will create 19 new jobs in the Capital region.

Pod Pack is a manufacturer of coffee and tea products for roasters and distributors in North America and Central America. The company’s signature products, compostable coffee and tea pods, are manufactured at the company’s Baton Rouge facility located on Industrialplex Boulevard in Baton Rouge.

In 2013, the company produced approximately 100 million pods. The facility expansion and installation of new equipment will allow the company to further expand its output to meet the needs of recently secured client contracts.

“We considered other alternative locations, but we are truly happy we chose Louisiana,” said Tom Martin, the firm’s Executive Vice President/COO. “We are so grateful for what we have accomplished through our employees, our customers and the local support. When we announced our growth plans, it was unbelievable how much encouragement we have received from the local Baton Rouge area, including the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, the Mayor’s Office and Louisiana Economic Development. Baton Rouge and Louisiana are a great place for doing business and for manufacturers to thrive.”

Governor Bobby Jindal said, “Louisiana is filled with great innovators like the leadership at Pod Pack International, and we have worked hard to ensure they have the resources to thrive, including a strong business climate, a skilled workforce and a world-class infrastructure.”

To secure the expansion project, LED offered a competitive incentive package, including a performance-based $760,000 award from the Economic Development Loan Program. The company is also expected to utilize the state’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.

“BRAC congratulates Pod Pak on their upcoming expansion,” said Baton Rouge Area Chamber President/CEO Adam Knapp. “Through our business retention and expansion efforts, we were able to help the company see that business growth was possible and work with them on the incentives and processes to make this happen. Small businesses in the region are the backbone of our economy, playing an integral role just as the larger companies do, and we are pleased to see Pod Pak taking their business to the next level.”

Exclusive Research