Apio Inc., a specialty food processor in Penn Township,
York County, will create 256 new jobs over the next three years as part of a
$21 million expansion of its manufacturing and distribution plant.
Department of Community and Economic Development
Secretary Dennis Davin said Apio could have expanded outside the state but
decided to stay in the Hanover area. Through DCED, it received a Pennsylvania
First Program grant worth $512,000, an additional $512,000 in Job Creation Tax
Credits and a WEDnetPA grant for $133,200, Davin said.
The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action
Team, which works with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in
the state. The York County Economic Alliance also collaborated on the deal.
“Governor Wolf’s budget continues the commonwealth’s
support for the manufacturing industry through the establishment of the ‘Made
in Pennsylvania’ Job Creation program, which rewards manufacturing companies
that create good-paying, middle-class jobs," Davin said in a news release.
Apio will add 43,000 square feet to its facility,
tripling the size of the building, Davin noted. It will add eight new fresh-cut
vegetable processing lines to expand its product offerings to include vegetable
tray products, salad kits and vegetable stir-fry kits. The company will retain
40 existing positions.
“North American shoppers are responding to our on-trend
product portfolio, which includes Eat Smart Gourmet Vegetable Superfood Salad
Kits like Eat Smart Sweet Kale Salad, Wild Greens and Quinoa Salad, and Beets
and Greens Salad,” said Anne Byerly, Apio's vice president of marketing. “The
expansion in Hanover will allow us to grow our Eat Smart and GreenLine brands
particularly in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.”
“Solidifying Apio’s presence and long-term investment in
York County is a win for the region,” said Darrell W. Auterson, president and
CEO of the York County Economic Alliance. “We welcome Apio’s expansion and the
jobs they are bringing here.”
A wholly-owned subsidiary of California-based Landec
Corp., Apio is a leader in fresh-cut specialty packaged produce. In addition to
Hanover, Apio has manufacturing plants in Vero Beach and Guadalupe, Calif., and
Bowling Green, Ohio.
Source: Central
Penn Business Journal
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