Nature Fresh Farms to Build New 175 Acre Greenhouse Facility in Delta, Ohio
DELTA, OH - Nature Fresh Farms™ is venturing into a new frontier – the States.
The company has announced plans to begin construction on a new 175-acre greenhouse facility in Delta, Ohio in the spring of 2015. Over the next seven years, the company will invest nearly $200 million to construct the facility. Nature Fresh Farms expects to grow and shipfresh produce year-round from the site, which is expected to be one of the largest produce greenhouses in Ohio. The first case of vegetables to be shipped is slated for December 2015, according to a press release.
“This is an exciting time for Nature Fresh Farms™ as we expand our operations to include a U.S. growing facility,” said Peter Quiring, President. “This development will allow us to better serve our Ohio customers with locally grown produce year-round and continue to grow our U.S. operations.”
The project will be completed in several phases, beginning with the construction of the first 15 acres of the facility. Each expansion will be staggered in six-month intervals. According to Toledo Blade, Nature Fresh will also construct a distribution center and packing facility.
The venture presents a number of exciting opportunities for Nature Fresh, which aims to employ 50 local employees at the greenhouse within the first year. The goal is to create up to 300 full-time jobs with total payroll expected to reach nearly $12 million annually by 2022.
Interestingly, Nature Fresh is currently exploring a first-of-its-kind partnership with Northstar/Bluescope Steel to utilize carbon dioxide and waste heat from their operations.
The Delta, Ohio site was chosen for its close proximity to the company’s headquarters, as well as to provide current and future customers easy access tofresh produce. Jobs-Ohio, the Regional Growth Partnership, the Fulton County Economic Development Corporation, York Township, and the Village of Delta partnered with Nature Fresh to find the optimal site for this expansion project.
“The proposed investment by Nature Fresh Farms™ is an exciting project for the York Township, the Village of Delta, and surrounding communities,” said Matt Gilroy, Executive Director of the Fulton County Economic Development Corporation. “We welcome Nature Fresh Farms™ to Fulton County and will work diligently to meet the company’s needs and complete the project successfully.”
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to track the development of this exciting expansion project.
