Gorton’s breaks ground on $89M refrigerated warehouse in Lebanon
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LEBANON, Ind. - Representatives from Massachusetts-based Gorton’s Seafood were in Lebanon on Wednesday to break ground on the company’s $89 million cold storage facility.
The new plant will come in tandem with a 100,000-square-foot addition to the United States Cold Storage warehouse that will be attached to Gorton’s facility.
USCS’s Midwest director Adam Ashley said when Gorton’s approached the logistics company about adding a Midwest site, that set the wheels in motion for an expansion.
“We have had a partnership with Gorton’s for over 40 years,” Ashley said. “And Lebanon, the Indianapolis area was a fit for them and a fit for us.”
Gorton’s hopes to complete the facility by late 2025. It will employ around 160 people once it’s built, making it the largest facility the company has outside of its headquarters in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
The Lebanon City Council previously voted to give Gorton’s a 50% reduction in taxes over the next five years. According to abatement documents, Gorton’s plans to spend $34.6 million on construction of the facility and $54.6 million to equip it with new manufacturing, logistical distribution and information technology equipment. Total annual payroll at the facility is expected to be nearly $9.8 million.
Ashley said this week’s groundbreaking only serves to strengthen the partnership between USCS and Gorton’s.
“It just solidifies our partnership with them. And allowing us to use our frozen storage and distribution capabilities. Let them focus on what they do best and we’re focusing on what we do best.”
Gorton’s CEO Kurt Hogan wrote in a press release that the new plant is a great way to mark the company’s 175th year in business.
“It’s fitting that in 2024 we can share this incredibly exciting news,” Hogan said. “Our investment in this new facility, in partnership with U.S. Cold, will allow us to continue our mission of making quality seafood accessible to everyone.”
Gorton’s was founded in 1849 as John Pew & Sons. It introduced its most famous product, the frozen fish stick, in 1953. The company is also known for its “Man at the Wheel” company trademark featuring a fisherman in a yellow raincoat.