Governor Laura Kelly announced Wednesday that Flora Food Group, a global food company, has purchased a manufacturing facility in Hugoton. This capital investment of around $90 million and the expected creation of approximately 100 new jobs over the next several years will elevate the workforce in Stevens County.
“This investment by Flora Food Group demonstrates my administration’s commitment to ensuring economic development and opportunity across Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I look forward to the success of this partnership between Flora Food Group and the Hugoton community.”
The facility will be the hub for Flora Food Group’s creams and cream cheese products for the United States, Canada, and the rest of the Americas region over time. Its existing New Century facility will continue to serve as the U.S. hub for Flora Food Group’s butters and spreads products. The intention is to bring back a fully operational facility and jobs to the Hugoton community.
“Strong and goal-oriented partnerships are key to bringing opportunities to all 105 Kansas counties, and that is precisely what this investment represents,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Local and state officials worked together to find a company in growth mode that would be a good fit for the community. The Flora Food Group is the perfect match for Hugoton – and the state.”
Including this Hugoton site, Flora Food Group, formerly known as Upfield Group, has 15 owned sites across five continents, manufacturing over 90% of the products it sells. The purchase of the Hugoton facility and further investments planned for the site will support the company’s creams business in the region and help fulfill its growth plans.
“With the acquisition of this new facility, we are thrilled to have a unique opportunity to expand our creams business,” said Jim Breach, president of Flora Food Group’s North American business. “Building on the existing, state-of-the-art infrastructure and trained workforce residing in the local community, we look forward to bringing more folks into the Flora Food Group family as well as continuing to produce our kitchen and pantry staple items here in America’s heartland and across our broader Americas region.”
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