ConAgra Foods on Friday (Mar. 15) broke ground on a $100 million expansion in Russellville, according to a press release from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
As part of the expansion, originally announced in September 2012, ConAgra Foods anticipates an investment of $100 million in the new facility and expects to add more than 80 new jobs. The expansion in Russellville is a result of ConAgra Foods’ 2012 acquisition of the Bertolliâ and P.F. Chang’sâ Home Menu frozen meal business, which will be added to the facility’s production lines.
The expected addition of 80 or more new jobs over the next two years will bring total employment to approximately 1,300 at ConAgra Foods’ Russellville facility.
“ConAgra Foods has a long history in the community, and we are excited to grow our presence here,” Mike Tracy, senior vice president of Consumer Foods Supply Chain for ConAgra Foods, said in the statement. “Our talented, committed employees and the tremendous support we receive from the city of Russellville and State of Arkansas will help us make great food here well into the future.”
ConAgra Foods’ Russellville location, a facility operation under different owners since 1964, produces Banquetâ, Healthy Choiceâ and Marie Callender’sâ products.
“ConAgra Foods’ significant investment in this expansion is a testament to the quality of the company’s existing workforce in Russellville,” said Grant Tennille, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “Today’s groundbreaking further establishes Arkansas’s reputation as a hub in the food production sector.”
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods is among North America’s leading food companies, with ConAgra Foods brands found in 97% of American households.