General Mills embarks on expansion of its snack factory in Geneva in a bid to bolster its snacks business
USA – American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods General Mills, Inc. has commenced its drive to expand a snack factory and warehouse in the US state of Illinois Geneva, Just Food reports.
According to the company spokesperson, the company is adding two buildings to the site in Geneva: a one-story 65,600-square-foot asset and a 48,600-square-foot warehouse expansion.
General Mills also revealed that it has already secured approval for the project and construction has begun with operations for the new buildings envisaged for next year.
The Geneva factory will produce snack brands such as Fiber One, Nature Valley, and Fruit by the Foot, sold across North America.
The announcement comes after the recent milestone as the company was named by Fortune as one of America’s Most Innovative Companies, ranking No. 1 in its industry and 79 overall.
According to Fortune, Statista reviewed more than 15,000 eligible companies based on product innovation, process innovation, and innovation culture and General Mills took the lead.
Other additions outlined in the proposal include a 42-space employee parking lot, new storm sewer systems, and light fixtures.
According to General Mills, the new features will “provide a high level of safety and even illumination for employees and other visitors to the site while minimizing the potential for light pollution beyond site property lines.”
The expansion comes after the company reported a 19% rise in sales from its US snacks business in its fiscal third quarter, a period that ran to 26 February. It reported unspecified “market share gains” for its fruit snacks and hot snacks businesses in the US.
In 2022, the period that ran to 29 May, General Mills’ US snacks business booked a 9% rise in net sales on an organic basis, “led by strong performance on snack bars and fruit snacks hence the move is timely given the surging market.
Meanwhile, last month, the company announced plans to invest a further $200m in its pet-food unit Blue Buffalo, a move set to create around 60 new jobs.
The investment will take place over the next two years to expand its Indiana-based operations, adding 169,000 square feet to expand processing operations and warehouse capacity.
The 400,000-square-foot facility in Wayne County, Indiana was established in 2016 and employs more than 180 staff. The Blue Life Protection Formula, Wilderness, True Solutions, Basics, and Freedom brands of dog and cat food are produced at the plant.
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