Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Nestle Nutrition said today it will spend $90 million to expand and redesign its Gerber plant in Fort Smith, adding 50 full-time jobs over the next two years.
The 900,000-square-foot facility already employs about 650 people. Construction to add an additional cereal manufacturing line and redesign the facility to increase production capacity will begin immediately, the company said.
The project is expected to be completed by September 2012.
“Creating shared value is an important principle at Nestle, and we are proud to continue to support and encourage growth within the Fort Smith community,” said Kurt Schmidt, CEO of Nestle Nutrition North America, in a news release.
The release quoted Gov. Mike Beebe as saying, “This expansion by Gerber illustrates the continued revival and growth of manufacturing in Fort Smith. It is the continued success of respected companies like Nestle that will show other prospective businesses the benefits of locating in Sebastian County.”
The Gerber plant has been in operation in Fort Smith since 1964. It produces pureed baby food, infant cereals and meat sticks for toddlers.
