Puratos Corp. has held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new $42-million manufacturing facility in Pennsauken, NJ. Puratos is a $1.4-billion international company with a full range of innovative products, applications and expertise in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors.
Puratos has grown from a company started in a garage into an international organization, with 450 employees nationally and approximately 190 based in Cherry Hill and Pennsauken. It provides goods to 100 countries worldwide. With the new, 170,000 square foot manufacturing facility, which features many green, energy-saving elements, it will almost double the size of the plant, and local employment will reach 230 between the two Camden County locations. The plant will produce a variety of bakery improvers, bases, mixes, icings, glazes, fruit and cream fillings.
On display at the groundbreaking event was their Sensobus, a mobile marketing research lab that taste tests fruit fillings, icings, chocolate and other mouthwatering ingredients on behalf of their manufacturing clients.
Government at all levels has helped facilitate the expansion of Puratos’ manufacturing facility. The state’s Business Action Center worked with county and Township officials to keep Puratos in New Jersey. In addition, the Economic Development Authority awarded Puratos an estimated $371,000 Business Retention and Relocation Assistance Grant. The county, through its economic development team, will assist the company in their ongoing recruitment of employees through programs at the Camden County One Stop Employment Center. Pennsauken Township helped clear their path on the local, state and county level.
Camden County Freeholder Director, Louis Cappelli, Jr., State Senator Jim Beach and Pennsauken Township Mayor Jack Killion spoke at the groundbreaking, as well as state officials, Puratos’ president Karel Zimmerman and Brent Laurin, Puratos’ Vice President of Operations.
“We are delighted that Puratos is building a facility that will be a manufacturing model for the rest of the world and will create job opportunities for our residents both in office work and manufacturing. This has been a great cooperative effort between the county, the state and the township,” said Freeholder Director Cappelli.
“Puratos has been a great business in Pennsauken and a great neighbor,” said Mayor Killion. “In tough economic times, it is truly wonderful that they are expanding in Pennsauken. They consistently produce delicious and innovative products.”
