ConAgra Foods Expanding Operations In Waterloo

A snack food manufacturer has announced a multi-million dollar expansion in Waterloo, a project that will create 55 new jobs in the Cedar Valley.

ConAgra Foods is increasing operations at its MidPort Industrial Park facility. The company is adding David sunflower seeds snacks to its state-of-the-art manufacturing platform in Waterloo. Consumer snacks marketed under the Snack Pack and Swiss Miss brand names are currently manufactured at the facility.

The $50 million project announced on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, is contingent upon state and local assistance. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) is scheduled to discuss incentives for ConAgra on Friday. The Waterloo City Council is scheduled to take action on a financial aid package at Tuesday's meeting.

Pending approval of incentives, ground-breaking would likely take place in mid-June with the new production line beginning operations in late 2016. If everything goes as planned, the expansion would be the third at the MidPort plant since ConAgra built the facility in 1997.

Waterloo Mayor Buck Clark welcomes the potential new investment and jobs, thanking ConAgra’s staff and leadership -- both at the Waterloo facility and corporate headquarters -- for their decision to “Choose Waterloo.”

“The City of Waterloo is proud to continue our growing relationship with ConAgra Foods," Clark said. "This expansion is great for Waterloo’s tax base and it adds new employment opportunities for the whole Cedar Valley area. Furthermore, ConAgra continues to strengthen and diversify its Waterloo location by adding yet another product line.”

The proposed expansion project will include new construction of processing, packaging, warehouse, and administrative areas to accommodate the new product. The entire project is expected to increase plant production by 30 percent, adding nearly 99,000-square-feet to the existing facility.

“Waterloo is a great fit for ConAgra Foods and our new snack seeds facility," said Mike Tracy, the company's Senior Vice President of Supply Chain. "Waterloo has an excellent workforce and the location will allow us to meet our current and future business needs. "We look forward to having a continued presence in Waterloo.”

Total employment is expected to increase by about 55 positions. Hawkeye Community College will help train the expected new workers through a state training program. The value of the training incentive is estimated to be approximately $536,000.

“Firms like ConAgra Foods have many options when deciding where to make large capital investments," said Steve Dust, Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber CEO. "We are excited that ConAgra Foods again chose to invest in the economy, workforce, and business climate of the Cedar Valley of Iowa. It’s exciting to have yet another nationally recognized brand added to the Cedar Valley by a Fortune 500 company."