Today, Greencore marked the opening of a new greenfield sandwich facility in Rhode Island to support the rapid international growth of its business. The 107,000 square foot building will become the eighth food manufacturing facility for Greencore in the US. Minister for Agriculture and Food, Simon Coveney TD along with Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo attended the official opening today.
“This is the first new factory build for Greencore in almost 25 years, and we are committed to developing one of the best sandwich manufacturing plants in the world here in Rhode Island,” said Liam McClennon, CEO of Greencore USA. “This is an important investment as part of our ongoing expansion of the business to avail of opportunities in key markets. We are investing over $40 million to develop a state of the art complex. It will employ upwards of 400 staff and marks a key milestone in our strategy to grow Greencore’s business in the US.”
Greencore’s Quonset facility will be the company’s northeast hub, producing approximately six million units per week and supplying more than twenty states. The facility is a 107,000-square-foot space (with potential to expand to 150,000-square-feet) and is scheduled to open in spring 2015. The state-of-the-art facility uses the latest technology and will introduce approximately 400 new jobs to Rhode Islanders, from entry-level food production and delivery to quality control and management.
“We are thrilled that Greencore has chosen Rhode Island for its new facility,” said Governor Gina M. Raimondo. “My number one priority as governor is creating middle class jobs, and my team will remain fully committed to supporting companies like Greencore in finding people trained in the skills necessary to meet their business demands.”
During the first public address from the Quonset facility, Greencore USA CEO Liam McClennon and Chairman of the Board Gary Kennedy laid out their plans and expectations for the facility, and Governor Gina Raimondo joined them in discussing Greencore and Rhode Island’s commitment to economic development. Simon Coveney explored the vision of ‘smart, green, growth’ which has seen Irish food companies emerge as global leaders in safe, sustainable food production.
“This announcement represents the strategy of ‘smart, green growth’, which has seen Irish companies emerge as global leaders in safe, sustainable food production,” said Minister Coveney. As a buyer of Irish products, Greencore offers a further opportunity to supply high quality Irish food, from companies who are interested in the US market.”
“Greencore’s Quonset facility will be the company’s Northeast hub, serving approximately 56 million people in eight states and will supply the convenience and small store channels,” said Gary Kennedy, Greencore Chairman. The facility is a 107,000-square-foot space, with potential to expand to 150,000-square-feet, and is scheduled to commence product trials from Spring 2015.”
