Blount to Open Soup Manufacturing Facility in Portland, OR
Blount Fine Foods has purchased a premium food manufacturing facility with 80,000 square feet of production capacity in Portland, Oregon. The marketer and maker of prepared soups, entrées, and side dishes for retail and foodservice plans to invest more than $25 million in the facility to ensure its truly state-of-the art, and it'll be ready by July, in time for soup season.
"Market demand for all soups, but especially our premium soups, continues to increase, with flavors, sizes, and eating occasions creating more opportunity for our customers," said Todd Blount, president and chief executive of Blount Fine Foods. "Adding this facility meaningfully rounds out our nationwide network of plants and distribution points and allows us to get the best ingredients to the ideal plant, and then ship the highest quality product on to the customer in the most efficient manner possible. In many ways, we hope this equates to an endless and uninterrupted supply of the world’s best soup."
Blount already has facilities in Fall River, Mass. — its headquarters — Warren, R.I. and McKinney, Texas. The company also announced it has entered into an agreement with a third-party logistics (3PL) partner that will provide expanded distribution and logistics across the United States. Blount has 3PL locations in Taunton, Mass., Fort Worth, Tex., and Atlanta, Ga. In 2020, the company will also name two more 3PL locations in Oregon and the Midwest.
Blount expects to employ about 50 people when the new Portland facility first opens in the second half of 2020, including up to six who will relocate to Portland from other Blount facilities. One who will relocate is Blount veteran Douglas Gregoire, who has been named general manager of the new plant. By the time the new facility is fully operational, which is expected to be by 2021, Blount expects to employ up to 150 people there.
The facility had been the headquarters of Harry's Fresh Foods, which sold to Kettle Cuisine in early 2019.
