McKee Foods is planning a major investment in its Collegedale operations, including a large expansion to its Apison Plant, located in the 10800 block of Apison Pike.
Over a 15-year period, McKee Foods has agreed to invest more than $500 million in capital projects, including an expansion of the Apison Plant that will include new production lines, and additional investment in its other Collegedale facilities.
McKee Foods has also committed to creating 125 new jobs in the first seven years of the project. Over the course of the entire project, the company expects to create 480 new jobs.
McKee Foods employs about 3,000 people in its Tennessee operations.
The initial five-year outlay is approximately $225 million. Of this amount, $110 million is set to more than double the current size of the Apison Plant and add the first new production line.
This will be the fourth major expansion of this facility. Work will be completed in phases, with the first phase beginning this summer.
“McKee Foods is very pleased to be able to bring more jobs and more bakery capacity to our Hamilton County operations,” says Mike McKee, McKee Foods Corporation president and CEO.
“Our family business is blessed to have such deep roots in Southeast Tennessee – a region where thoughtful infrastructure investment is being made while maintaining a keen eye on livability and workability for our employees and surrounding communities.
“As always, we appreciate partnering with the City of Collegedale, Hamilton County, the State of Tennessee, Tennessee Valley Authority and EPB as we expand our Collegedale operations.”
McKee Foods broke ground on the Apison Plant in April 1996 and production began in May 1997. The plant nearly tripled in size with an expansion completed in December 2006.
Source: McKee Foods