Amy’s Kitchen expands production to Idaho

Amy’s Kitchen Inc., the Petaluma-based frozen-food maker, announced Thursday that it will expand its national operations by purchasing a facility in Pocatello, Idaho.|

Amy’s Kitchen Inc., the Petaluma-based frozen-food maker, announced Thursday that it will expand its national operations by purchasing a facility in Pocatello, Idaho, that was formerly operated by H. J. Heinz Co.

Amy’s CEO and co-founder Andy Berliner said the plant was needed as a result of a double-digit growth it was experiencing this year and will complement its expansion already occurring in its other facilities, including in Santa Rosa.

“We’re excited for this opportunity to immediately begin increasing our capacity,” Berliner said in a statement.

The plant, which was closed by Heinz in June, is scheduled to start operating by December. Amy’s said it plans to initially hire 200 full-time employees and eventually increase to 1,000 employees under terms of the economic incentives provided by the state and the Bannock County Board of County Commissioners.

Under Idaho’s program, companies are eligible to receive a tax credit of up to 30 percent on income, payroll and sales taxes for up to 15 years. Amy’s will be eligible to receive a 26 percent tax credit. The county also approved a 75 percent property tax abatement that applies to the 500,000-square-foot facility as well as any other investments.

The announcement was made in Pocatello with Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, the Republican incumbent running for re-election, and local officials who touted that the Amy’s plant will bring in total wages of $342 million and state tax revenues of $35.7 million over a 15-year period.

Amy’s has been expanding based on growing popularity of its natural and vegetarian products, such as frozen burritos, soups and other entrées. It is adding 130,000 square feet of production space to its Medford, Ore., facility and is building a $95 million facility in Goshen, N.Y., to help with its distribution in the Eastern seaboard.

Amy’s has 1,000 employees in Sonoma County. It is expanding in a new facility southwest Santa Rosa that will make a new line of entrées and snacks, creating 150 new jobs. The plant was downsized from an original plan for a mutlimillion-dollar project, which was scrapped because of costs associated with hooking up to the city’s water and wastewater system.

Check back later today for more details.

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