Baking & Snack - October 2022 - 10

General Mills invests in
plant expansion
General Mills Inc., Minneapolis, is investing $100 million in
its Wellston, Ohio, manufacturing facility. The investment is
part of a partnership with JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic
Development (OhioSE), the Ohio Department of Development
and others.
" General Mills has been a cornerstone of this community for
more than 35 years, and our employees exude a lot of pride in
making food the world loves, " said Stephanie Weaver, plant manager
at General Mills' Wellston facility. " We're excited to grow our
business and employee base in Southeastern Ohio, and having
strong local, regional and state partners has been instrumental in
our success. "
Funds from the investment will be put toward building, machinery
and equipment costs for the facility, which produces
Totino's brand pizzas and pizza rolls. The expansion also will
bring the number of full-time employees at the facility to more
than 1,000.
- Caleb Wilson, Food Business News
JTM Foods, snack pie
maker, expands
JTM Foods LLC, a Harrison, Ohio-based manufacturer of handheld
snack pies, broke ground on a new plant in Wichita, Kan.
Along with its financial partner Tenex Capital Management, JTM
is investing approximately $40 million in the Kansas expansion.
The new 195,000-square-foot plant is expected to double JTM's
King's Hawaiian issues recall
King's Hawaiian, Torrance, Calif., issued a voluntary recall of
its Pretzel Slider Buns, Pretzel Hamburger Buns and Pretzel
Bites following a recall of an ingredient used in the baked foods
from one of its suppliers, Lyons Magnus. Lyons Magnus has issued
its recall due to the potential for it to cause microbial contamination,
including from the organisms Cronobacter sakazakii
and Clostridium botulinum.
King's Hawaiian said no illnesses associated with its pretzel
bread products have been reported, and no pathogens have been
found in any of its products, but the recall has been undertaken
" out of an abundance of caution " and " to ensure consumer safety. "
" This
recall does not impact any other King's Hawaiian
products, as no other products use this ingredient from Lyons
Magnus, " King's Hawaiian said. " King's Hawaiian will resume producing
all pretzel products once the company has ensured all current
product has been disposed of and has confirmed the safety of
all ingredients. "
- Eric Schroeder, Milling & Baking News
10 Baking & Snack October 2022 / www.bakingbusiness.com
current manufacturing and distribution footprint, which is located
in Erie, Pa. The expansion is JTM's first outside of Pennsylvania
and will allow the company to more easily serve its handheld
snack pie retail partners in its Southern, Southwest and West
Coast markets. The expansion also paves the way for more product
innovation, the company noted.
The Wichita plant is expected to come online in the fall of 2023
and will bring approximately 150 jobs to the region over the next
two years.
" After exploring several options across multiple states and locales,
the strong public/private partnerships here, linking government,
business, academic and community interests together
convinced us that Wichita was the 'Best Choice' for JTM's future
expansion, " said Monty Pooley, president and chief executive officer
of JTM.
Founded in 1986 by Jeffrey T. McMillin, JTM Foods began
making Crispy Rice Treats under the JJ's brand in 1993. In 1996,
the JJ's Snacks and Treats brand was established, and in 2013 JJ's
was rebranded to JJ's Bakery. Today, the company produces more
than 350 million handheld snack pies a year in a variety of flavors,
including Apple, Banana Cream, Blackberry, Cherry, Chocolate,
Lemon, Lemon Cream and Peach. The company also offers Duos,
which feature multiple fillings. Duos are available in Boston
Cream and Strawberry and Cream flavors. The company's Crispy
Rice Treats are crispy marshmallow rice treats that are available in
two flavors: Homestyle and Birthday Cake.
- Eric Schroeder, Milling & Baking News
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - October 2022

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