ROANOKE, Va. -- Virginia, a state with a rapidly rising profile for food processors, secured another big deal in June when Maple Leaf Bakery cooked up a recipe for expansion.
Maple Leaf announced June 13 that it will invest US$11 million into a 50,000-sq.-ft. (4,650-sq.-m.) expansion of its 80,000-sq.-ft. (7,440-sq.-m.) bakery operation in Roanoke. About 40 to 50 new jobs will be created when the facility opens on Dec. 22 in the Roanoke Center for Industry & Technology.
The company originally located in the Roanoke Valley in 1997 with an investment of $22 million. Maple Leaf Bakery, an independent operating company of Maple Leaf Foods Inc., also owns and operates manufacturing plants in Franklin Park, Ill., and Oxnard, Calif.
"The consumer demand for our products has increased steadily since the facility opened in 1998," says Richard Lan, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Bakery. "The expansion will further position Maple Leaf Bakery as the leader in par-baked technology, and premium frozen and specialty baked goods."
Roanoke Mayor Ralph Smith says that the news "is an endorsement of our business-friendly environment and all the qualities that make the City of Roanoke and the Roanoke Valley a great place to live and work."
Maple Leaf was assisted in its expansion decision by the City of Roanoke, the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Because the project is based inside an enterprise zone, the company qualifies for continued tax credits.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a $3.9 billion global company with 13,000 workers in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. The firm is headquartered in Toronto.
-- Ron Starner
