Columbus food production company will expand facility, add 25 new jobs to area
Expansion of a local food production company, Chairmans Foods LLC, is expected to bring 25 new jobs to Columbus, according to a press release Tuesday from the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
Chairmans Foods says it will invest $13 million to create a “state-of-the-art production facility” out of a 75,000 square-foot building it owns on Cusseta Road and currently uses as warehouse.
Chairmans Foods merged with BD&K Foods in 2018, which had expanded its business by purchasing the building at 1333 Cusseta Road in 2015.
Chairmans Foods currently leases a 30,000 square-foot plant on Andrews Road to manufacture and produce fresh, frozen and refrigerated food products, and plans to move out of the facility once the new one is completed. The project is expected to be ready by August 1, and the company plans to employ 110 people by the end of 2021.
The Cusseta Road plant is located within the city’s enterprise zone, which made BD&K Foods eligible for a property tax abatement that Columbus Council recently extended to Chairmans through December 2030.
Brian Sillitto, executive vice president of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce, said Tuesday the company made the decision to invest in the Cusseta Road facility rather than look elsewhere to expand their footprint.
“A priority of our economic development department is to help grow our existing companies,” Sillitto said. “By taking time to understand their business, all of our partners provided valuable assistance in support of Chairmans’ commitment to Columbus.”
Chairmans Foods Chief Executive Officer Lance Chambers said the company is “thrilled” with the relocation of its Columbus production facility.
“While we never anticipated making the move during a pandemic, our amazing people and their resiliency have made it happen,” he said. “It’s a top-notch facility that will help us better serve our customers and provide redundancy to our multi-plant production structure.”