FRANKFORT, KY. — Specialty dried tea maker Bigelow Tea Co. has announced plans to invest $53 million in a new 334,000-square-foot facility in Jeffersontown, Ky., a suburb of Louisville, Ky. The company said it will shift operations from its 85,000-square-foot plant (also in Jeffersontown) to the new plant.

Construction on the facility is expected to begin in the spring 2022 with the facility operational by summer 2024.

“The Bigelow family and all our team members are proud of our plan to build a state-of-the-art facility in Louisville,” said Cindi Bigelow, president and chief executive officer of Bigelow Tea. “Over the next few years, we will be committing over $50 million to create an extraordinary plant that will take us forward for decades to come. We would like to thank the Commonwealth of Kentucky, City of Louisville, and the City of Jeffersontown for providing the support necessary to help us finalize the purchase of a 20-acre property near our existing facility that has operated in Jeffersontown for almost 30 years. This is a very exciting time for our family business.”

Headquartered in Fairfield, Conn., Bigelow Tea is a third-generation family-owned business that has produced specialty tea for more than 75 years. The company said it produces 2 billion tea bags annually, including more than 150 varieties of flavored, traditional, green, herbal and decaffeinated products. Bigelow markets its flagship brand, Constant Comment, as well as Bigelow Organic and Bigelow Benefits Wellness teas, and Bigelow Botanicals Cold Water Infusions.

The company has manufacturing locations in Connecticut, Kentucky and Idaho, and also restored and maintains the Charleston Tea Garden, a 127-acre tea farm located on Wadmalaw Island in South Carolina. Bigelow Tea is a Certified B Corp., one of a select group of companies that has designated corporate social responsibility as a core business goal in the pursuit of a positive social and environmental impact.