Pace Dairy to expand in Crawfordsville
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A subsidiary of Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. is planning to expand operations in Crawfordsville. The city announced Monday that Pace Dairy will invest $5 million to upgrade machinery and equipment at the facility, which will help to retain some 300 jobs.
Pace Dairy is a supplier of Kroger-branded dairy products and says the upgrades will replace two shredded cheese lines with new shredding, packaging and transporting machinery to help meet growing demand.
The company said in a news release that the move will modernize the production process and increase production levels for various shredded cheese products.
“Pace Dairy of Indiana annually distributes 110 million pounds of Kroger cheese to half of the United States,” Site Manager Melissa Stonecipher said in the release. “The new investment will enable our Pace team to be more productive and efficient than ever, with the most innovative technology in our 42 years serving the country from Crawfordsville.”
While the investment will not result in any new job creation, the city said it will secure the future of the facility in Crawfordsville.
“This new investment further solidifies Pace Dairy’s Crawfordsville operations as a leader in the evolving market for dairy products driven by consumer preference,” Mayor Todd Barton said. “The commitment of Kroger and Pace to our community has been historically strong and this announcement further strengthens that relationship, positioning them for long-term success.”
Pace Dairy plans to seek tax incentives from the city for the project, though details were not immediately provided.