Team approach convinces French applesauce maker to open plant here

When French applesauce maker Charles & Alice Group was deciding whether to put its first American plant here, the facts pointed to yes.

A vacant food-processing plant was available on Yellow Goose Road, near apples, major roads and skilled, hard-working employees.

On top of that, state officials were offering a generous $1.57 million package of grants, tax credits and a low-interest loan.

But beyond the favorable figures, the feelings pointed to yes too.

“More importantly — and this has been a key decision factor — we also felt very welcome,” said Thierry Goubault, chief executive officer of Charles & Alice Group.

“When entrepreneurs are taking risks, they need to feel that there’s a strong team behind (them)...,” he said, referring to the support of local and state officials.

“We feel at home.”

Goubault explained his thinking at a ceremony Friday morning to formally announce plans for an applesauce processing facility here.

As was previously reported, developing the applesauce processing plant inside the 2870 Yellow Goose Road facility will cost $10.6 million.

Production in the leased 55,000-square-foot building is expected to begin in October with 12 employees.

The East Hempfield Township site’s work force will rise to 25 by year-end or early 2015. In three years, the site will have 50 employees.

The facility will make five flavors — apple, apple strawberry, apple mango, apple grape and apple berry banana.

The product, marketed primarily to children as "squeezable fruit" in pouches rather than applesauce, will be sold under the "Fruit Friends" brand.

To separate its product from the competition, Charles & Alice will focus on its all-natural ingredients.

The firm does not add any sweeteners (not even apple juice concentrate), artificial flavors or artificial colors.

Goubault called the all-natural recipe “one of our key strengths,” noting that producing applesauce that way “may sound easy” but actually is  complex and sophisticated.

With that focus, Goubault was “very confident” that the U.S. market for his firm’s products “will grow dramatically” in the years ahead.

It now accounts for $10 million in sales annually, part of Charles & Alice’s worldwide sales of $180 million annually.

Goubault also announced that the site’s plant director will be Brian May, of Gettysburg,

May is a Penn State University graduate and a 19-year veteran of Dr Pepper Snapple Group and its predecessor, Cadbury Schweppes.

Previously working in logistics and operations for Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s plant in Aspers, Adams County, he began his new job April 1.

About 35 people attended the Friday morning event, including Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, state Agriculture Secretary George Greig, state Sen. Mike Brubaker, state Rep. Ryan Aument and County Commissioners Chairman Dennis Stuckey.

Source: LancasterOnline