Due to unprecedented growth in its domestic packaged business, Riceland Foods will invest $13.2 million in a plant expansion in Arkansas. The project will require additional personnel in order to meet demand, so 80 new jobs will be created across the cooperative’s Stuttgart and Jonesboro plants. Riceland currently employs 1,500 people companywide.
The majority of the expansion will be at the Stuttgart location, including two new packaging lines that will enhance the cooperative’s ability to meet consumer demands. The expansion will also support additional renovation of existing facilities and updates to existing production lines.
The Riceland Board of Directors recognized the evolving marketplace and took steps to position the farmer-owned cooperative for the future, according Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Dallas.
“Riceland has been a key employer in eastern Arkansas for years,” said Dallas. “We’re excited about the opportunity to grow this segment of our business.”
Riceland’s addition of 80 new employees is setting the cooperative up for future success, said Governor Asa Hutchinson.
“I want to congratulate Riceland on its centennial anniversary,” said Gov. Hutchinson. “It is always great to see our homegrown businesses thrive and expand. For 100 years, Riceland has fed millions of people around the world and has grown to become a leader in the rice industry. The 80 new jobs being created by the company, along with the $13.2 million expansion, will significantly affect these new employees and their families in Stuttgart and Jonesboro and help Riceland continue on its path of success.”
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ben Noble said the business strategy has focused on the expansion of our value-added packaged business for some time.
“We appreciate the Governor’s assistance in helping us take advantage of the increased demand in the marketplace,” said Noble. “The majority of these jobs will be in Stuttgart and Jonesboro, AR and will provide a much needed boost to the local economies in those areas of the state. Ultimately, the true beneficiary will be our farmers due to the increased margins we are able to secure.”
Riceland is partnering with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to help recruit new team members for these new roles.
“As the world’s largest miller and marketer of rice, Riceland Foods has been a significant economic engine not only in Stuttgart, but in the entire state, propelling Arkansas to becoming the top state in rice production,” said Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Commerce Mike Preston. “As the company celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, it is with great pleasure that we celebrate the expansion of these two plants and the impact the company will have in their communities.”
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