Little Potato Company Celebrates First Build in the United States
Canada's Little Potato Company has begun its expansion into the United States with the construction of a new facility in Wisconsin and an investment of USD20m, announced in April this year.
The Little Potato Company and Ryan Companies, Inc. celebrated the groundbreaking for the 133,000-square-foot processing facility on the 16-acre site just north of DeForest in June. It is the first facility The Little Potato Company will have in the United States.
The Canadian company, with headquarters in Edmonton, Alberta, has invested in the development of traditionally-bred varieties of creamer potatoes.
"We are absolutely delighted to be opening our first U.S. facility in DeForest," Angela Santiago, the C.E.O. and Cofounder of The Little Potato Company, said. This expansion, to be custom-built on U.S. Hwy 51 and opened in early 2017, will feature state-of-the art equipment, and will serve customers throughout the USA when fully operational. The site was chosen for its proximity to an exceptional agricultural region and experienced, passionate growers, access to major transportation and logistics networks and the availability of skilled workers.
“We are delighted with this new investment that represents our ongoing commitment to make a consistently exceptional product more available to our customers.” said Santiago. “This is particularly significant in our 20th anniversary year, when we celebrate our leadership in service and innovation.”
The Little Potato Company has a significant grower and distribution network throughout the U.S. and Canada for its proprietary line of creamer varieties, including Baby Boomer and Blushing Belle, and its value-added, innovative Microwave and Oven/Grill-Ready packs, which feature the same high-quality creamers and gluten-free spice packs with no added flavors, preservatives or colors.
When complete, the building will include 11,730 square feet of office space and 121,000 square feet of warehouse and processing space, as well as expandable cooler space. The facility will be used to wash, sort and pack the company's little potatoes.
The facility is being developed and constructed by Ryan Companies through its Great Lakes Region, which has headquarters in Milwaukee and Naperville, IL, and is slated to open in early 2017. During the construction of the facility, it is estimated that approximately 40 construction jobs will be created.
