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Ken’s Foods Inc. is planning a $39.7 million, 288,000-square-foot expansion of its manufacturing facility in Lebanon.
The Marlborough, Massachusetts-based company, which makes salad dressings, sauces and marinades, plans to expand the 320,000-square-foot plant it opened in 2018 on 40 acres in Lebanon Business Park, west of Interstate 65 between State Road 32 and State Road 39.
Ken’s Foods employs 230 people in Lebanon and expects to hire 10 additional employees after the expansion is complete.
“The expansion of Ken’s Foods and the additional job opportunities they will bring to Lebanon continues to showcase our growth in economic opportunities,” Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry said in written remarks.
Ken’s Foods expects to make investments of $29.4 million in real property (land and buildings) and $10.3 million in personal property (equipment) with the expansion.
Ken’s Foods, which manufactures and distributes 60 different flavors of salad dressing as well as Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce, currently has manufacturing facilities in four states—Indiana, Georgia, Massachusetts and Nevada.
The Lebanon City Council on Monday night unanimously approved four-year real property and personal property tax abatements for the expansion.
Ken’s Foods will receive a 100% abatement on both real property and personal property in the first, with abatements declining in 25% increments each year until they end after four years.
The company began construction in Lebanon in 2016 and opened in 2018. It offers an average salary of more than $27 per hour, which is higher than average in the city and county.
“Given our current situation, we don’t feel really a great need to do a lot of these abatements now, but looking at Ken’s Foods, they have been a great partner for the community,” Councilor Brent Wheat said at Monday night’s meeting. “They’ve been a good business providing good livelihoods, so I guess I’m letting other businesses know if you intend to seek concessions from the council on things like this, it does pay to work well with the community.”
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