Southeast Frozen Foods expanding operations in Calhoun County
November 28, 2012
$4.5 million investment expected to create 10 new jobs
CALHOUN COUNTY, SC – November 28, 2012 – Southeast Frozen Foods, a food products distributor and cold storageservice provider, today announced that it will expand its existingoperations in Calhoun County – the company’s second expansion in thelast five years. The $4.5 million investment is expected to generate 10additional new jobs.
“We are pleased to be able to increase capacity at our operations inCalhoun County to keep pace with our growing customer base. We haveoperated in South Carolina for over 30 years and the state has longprovided us with an excellent business environment and skilledworkforce. We look forward to continuing to grow and meet our customers’needs. We appreciate all the support we’ve received from state andlocal officials,” said Rich Bauer, president and CEO of Southeast FrozenFoods.
Southeast Frozen Foods offers supply chain solutions to retailers,wholesalers and manufacturers in the food industry. The company will addnew freezer capacity to its Gaston facility, located at 220 FrontageRoad. The new equipment will include state-of-the-art blast freezingtechnology that will increase productivity and be more energy efficient.
“We work hard to bring new companies to our state, but it’s alwaysexciting to see one of South Carolina’s existing grow. We celebrateSoutheast Frozen Foods’ decision to invest $4.5 million and create newjobs in Gaston. By keeping taxes and regulatory costs low, we cancontinue to strengthen our state’s business-friendly climate,” said Gov.Nikki Haley.
Since January 2011, South Carolina has recruited more than $322million in capital investment and more than 2,800 jobs in thedistribution and logistics sector. Additionally, in the agribusinesssector, more than $292 million in capital investment and more than 1,400jobs have been recruited during the same time period.
“SouthCarolina continues to provide the location and infrastructure companiesneed to get products to customers. Today’s expansion announcement bySoutheast Frozen Foods serves as another indication of that fact. Everyone of these jobs will have an impact in Calhoun County,” said Secretaryof Commerce Bobby Hitt.
Alongwith supplying customers throughout the Southeast, the company alsoexports about 10 percent of its products as well. Southeast Frozen Foodsexpects the expansion to be completed in 2013.
“Theexpansion of Southeast Frozen Foods speaks to the increasing potentialof agribusiness in South Carolina. Not only will this expansion createnew jobs on-site, but it also has the potential to open the door to moreopportunities for local food producers,” said South CarolinaCommissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers.
In 2007, Southeast Frozen Foods expanded this facility by 32,000square feet, adding 1.2 million cubic feet of space, four more dockdoors and 3,500 more pallet positions. The company also added 30 newjobs.
“We appreciate Southeast Frozen Foods’ decision to expandin Calhoun County. Today’s announcement signifies two things to us: thatwe’re pleased with the company and the progress that it has made as aCalhoun County enterprise, and that the company is satisfied with itslocation in Calhoun County. We are honored that Southeast Frozen Foodsis sinking its business roots deeper and deeper into the sandy soil ofCalhoun County,” said Calhoun County Economic Development CouncilChairman Pat Black.
“Southeast Frozen Foods understands the value of having adistribution center in the Central SC Region with close proximity tofour major interstates and a world-class workforce. The greatesttestament of a region-state business vitality is when a companycontinues to reinvest in the same location. Congratulations to CalhounCounty and we greatly appreciate the vote of confidence by the SoutheastFrozen Foods management team,” said Central SC Alliance Chairman JimApple.
Anyone interested in employment opportunities with Southeast Frozen Foods should visit the company’s careers page at http://74.9.203.74/employment/
About Southeast Frozen Foods
Southeast Frozen Foods, a part of Southeast Food Distribution, providesoutsource solutions for retailer grocers and distributors in the supplychain areas of procurement, transportation, inventory management anddistribution. The categories supported by the company are frozen food,ice cream, frozen bakery/deli, frozen meat and refrigerated. SoutheastFood Distribution supplies independent and regional supermarket chainsin twenty two states and the District of Columbia, and exports to theCaribbean, Central and South America. For more information, please visit www.seff.com.
