Dairy manufacturer will create 170 new jobs, bring $70 million investment to Winchester area
Richmond - Governor Jim Gilmore today announced that HP Hood, a nationally recognized dairy manufacturer, plans to construct a beverage processing facility in Frederick County. The company will invest $70 million in the plant over the next four years. HP Hood expects to build its staff to more than 170 employees by 2000.
"I am pleased to announce HP Hood’s decision to locate this major facility in Frederick County," Governor Gilmore said. "This project will be a helpful tool in strengthening Virginia’s position in the food processing industry."
The new Hood facility will manufacture extended shelf-life beverages using state-of-the-art ultra high temperature manufacturing with current and emerging packaging technologies. The company’s decision to build a new facility was the result of continued growth of the company’s extended shelf-life beverage business and the need to meet changing consumer needs. The new plant will support the Hood brand business as well as those products that Hood produces for national brand partners, such as Land O’ Lakes, Nestle Quik and Carnation Coffeemate. It will be the largest facility of its kind in the Commonwealth.
Founded in 1846 by Harvey Perley Hood, HP Hood, Inc. is the Northeast’s premier processor, marketer, and distributor of dairy, extended shelf life dairy, frozen desserts, citrus, non-dairy and specialty food products. The company is headquartered in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
"Continued, rapid growth of our extended shelf-life beverage business drove the need to expand our manufacturing capacity and add new processing and packaging technologies to our operations," HP Hood Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Hood Jeffrey W. Stephen said. "These new capabilities will allow us to meet both the demand for our products and to better satisfy today’s ‘on-the-go’ lifestyles. We are grateful to Governor Gilmore, his staff and the Frederick County Economic Development Commission for bringing us here today."
The Governor approved a $500,000 Governor’s Opportunity Fund grant to assist Frederick County with site preparation. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Frederick County and the Winchester-Frederick County Economic Development Commission assisted the company with its decision. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide workforce training services.
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