Governor McDonnell Announces Continued Investment by Sabra Dipping Company in Chesterfield County

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that Sabra Dipping Company, the country’s leading hummus manufacturer will invest $86 million to further expand its manufacturing capacity in Chesterfield County. The company, which earlier today opened a new Center of Excellence research and development facility will further increase production capabilities and as result, will add 140 new jobs over the next several years. Virginia successfully competed against other states for the project.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell said, “Sabra Dipping Company has been a tremendous corporate partner to Virginia since establishing its state-of-the-art food manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County in 2010. This significant investment comes on the heels of recent facility enhancements and the establishment of a Center of Excellence on Sabra’s campus. Today’s expansion brings the total jobs announced for the Chesterfield operation to nearly 500. We are honored to host the top-selling hummus brand in the country as it continues to accelerate in the growing food industry.”

“It is gratifying that as consumer demand increases for Sabra products, the company continues to choose its Virginia operation to accommodate this growth,” said Jim Cheng, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “This additional major expansion is a great testament to the success Sabra has found in Chesterfield County.”

“We are so proud to continue to call Chesterfield County home,” said Ronen Zohar, CEO of Sabra Dipping Company. “Sabra’s newest expansion underscores the fact that Virginia (and the rest of the country) is for hummus lovers. But our growth within Chesterfield specifically speaks to the relationships we have developed within the community and the wonderful environment the state has fostered for growing businesses.”

Today’s groundbreaking marks the initiation of the next phase of expansion expected to be completed by mid 2014.

In May 2010 Sabra first opened its hummus manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County. In 2012, the Company announced an enhancement to the facility and plans for the Center of Excellence, which was opened today. The 2012 enhancement included the addition of two new lines, a packaging automation system, water waste systems and other plant improvements.

“It is so impressive, but not surprising, how quickly Sabra has become a household name and the leader in the U.S. market,” said Dorothy Jaeckle, chair of the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors. “They are a wonderful company and their products have become synonymous with great taste and quality. They certainly have set the standard for excellence and we're very excited about another major expansion. We are very proud that these products are made in Chesterfield County and very thankful to Sabra for their continued investment and job creation.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Chesterfield County to secure the project for Virginia. Governor McDonnell approved a $350,000 grant from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to assist Chesterfield County with the project. The Governor also approved a $500,000 performance-based grant from the Virginia Investment Partnership program, an incentive available to existing Virginia companies. The company is eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide funding and services to support the company’s recruitment, training and retraining activities.

About Sabra Dipping Company, LLC
Sabra Dipping Company, LLC is a leader in the refrigerated dips and spreads category and producer of America’s top-selling hummus. Sabra’s award-winning hummus, available in more than a dozen flavors, and a wide range of authentic, healthy and vegetarian dips and spreads can be found nationwide in club stores, supermarkets, specialty retailers and through food service. Sabra operates a silver LEED certified factory in Virginia, and in 2011 received an A-Classification from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) audit board for food safety for its California Salsa plant. Find Sabra at www.sabra.com, www.facebook.com/sabra and @Sabra on twitter. 
Sabra Dipping Company was formed as a U.S./Canadian joint venture between Strauss Group and PepsiCo. The Sabra joint venture draws on both Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, and Strauss Group’s expertise to continue building this growing business.

About Strauss Group
Strauss Group is a multinational food and beverage company Headquartered in Israel. Strauss group is a fast growing international player focused on branded product segments. The corporation is comprised of five core business units: Strauss Israel, Strauss Coffee, Strauss Water, Strauss-PepsiCo fresh dips and spreads, and chocolate chain Max Brenner, and has established strategic partnerships with leading multinationals companies including: PepsiCo and Frito-Lay, Danone, Haier, Virgin and TPG Capital. Strauss group is Israel's largest food & beverage company, operates in 20 countries and employs 14,000 people globally. In 2012, the group achieved a net revenue of $ 2.3 billion in turnover with 51% generated by international activities.
Strauss Group concentrates on the two top consumption trends of
Health & Wellness and Fun & Indulgence and has implemented them
in five core companies: Strauss Israel, Strauss Coffee,
PepsiCo-Strauss Fresh Dips & Spreads, Max Brenner and Strauss water.
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For more information, please visit www.strauss-group.com and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/StraussGroup

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo’s people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo’s promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.