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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Pinnacle Foods Group Relocates Vlasic Pickle Production To Imlay City, Michigan

09/24/2012
New Jersey-based Pinnacle Foods Group, a producer, marketer and distributor of branded food products including; Duncan Hines Grocer, Birds Eye Frozen Foods and Specialty Foods divisions, plans to invest $14.3 million to expand its Imlay City, Michigan manufacturing facility, with plans to hire almost 30 additional employees.

Pinnacle owns two facilities in Michigan, one in Imlay City, at 415 S. Blacks Corners Road, producing products under the Vlasic brand, and another in Fennville, Michigan, at 100 Sherman Street, producing Comstock products.

"We came to this conclusion only after a detailed analysis of all potential options, which determined that the Imlay City plant is the most viable choice for the long term," said Tony Fernandez, EVP and Chief Supply Chain Officer, upon announcement of consolidation. The company's decision to focus on its branded Vlasic business and de-emphasize its lower-margin, un-branded pickle business was the catalyst for this consolidation.

"To enable the transition to the Imlay City plant, Pinnacle Foods will be investing significant capital to increase capacity, upgrade existing manufacturing capabilities and improve efficiencies. This will result in the creation of new full-time and seasonal jobs," the company said.

As an incentive, Pinnacle was awarded $800,000 in the form of a Michigan Business Development Program incentive. In addition, the City of Imlay City is considering property tax abatement in support of the project and Lapeer County is requesting tax abatement through the I-69 Next Michigan Development Authority.

"Michigan can compete with any state in the country as a great place to grow a business," said Michael A. Finney, MEDC President and CEO.

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