A $25 million expansion project of Kraft Heinz Food Company’s Garland plant will add 250 jobs at its Forest Lane facility. The company currently employs 843 employees at the operation.
The planned investment will also include significant facility renovations and purchases of additional machinery and equipment to accommodate two new production lines, with the help of the Texas Enterprise Zone Project. The city of Garland nominated the project, which was recently approved. The company could get a maximum of $625,000 from the state if it meets the employment increase goal.
The State’s Enterprise Zone Program was created to promote business investment and job creation in economically-challenged areas of Texas, specially designated under this initiative as “enterprise zones.”
According to the fine print, Kraft Heinz must dedicate at least 35 percent of the new jobs to Enterprise Zone residents, veterans, or economically disadvantaged residents.
“For decades, Kraft Heinz Food Company has been an important and highly valued corporate stakeholder in Garland, and we are extremely excited to assist them with this latest expansion of operations in our community,” said David Gwin, Garland’s director of economic development. “We look forward to many more years of successful partnership between Kraft Heinz and the community.”
The approved expansion will also significantly grow the city’s target industry of food and beverage production.
The impact of the proposed capital investment on the community was a significant factor considered by the State during the application review process, and Kraft has proven to be an active and considerable player in the City’s long-term growth and development.
For example, the company has regularly made contributions to summer school lunch programs with Lunchable product donations. Further, they provide technical training to their employees through continuing education classes; this can be vital for those living in areas with limited resources.
Kraft Heinz’s Garland operation is the company’s largest manufacturer of Lunchables, Oscar Meyer Naturals, Kraft barbecue sauce, and Velveeta Skillets, with plant distribution reaching across the country. Additionally, U.S. Food Service and Daisy Brand join Kraft Heinz in completing the top three food industry employers in Garland, with about 500 and 200 workers, respectively.
