BENICIA, CALIF. — Valley Fine Foods has announced plans to expand its production capacity on the East coast in order to support retail growth and increased demand for its foods on a national level. Beginning May 1, the company will shift pasta and sauce production to Forest City, N.C., from Benicia. The company’s brands include Three Bridges, Pasta Prima, and newer offerings such as Artisola and Pasta Bellezza.
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| Ryan Tu, president and c.e.o. of Valley Fine Foods |
“Producing tens of millions of lbs of fresh food, rolling out national distribution and achieving record sales in 2015 only reinforces the need for us to become more localized in our operational approach,” said Ryan Tu, president and chief executive officer, Valley Fine Foods. “Expanding on the East coast will allow Valley Fine Foods to more efficiently service our retail partners throughout the East and Midwest regions and better react to local preferences, ultimately serving local customers with fresher, higher quality products. With more families seeking fresh, prepared foods, we will be able to more rapidly scale up to fit those needs and bring consumers easier access to better options.”
As part of the move, Valley Fine Foods said it will build out and add two new production lines (for fresh pasta and sauces), as well as dozens of new jobs, at its 180,000-square-foot facility in Forest City, which opened in 2013 as part of a long-term growth strategy.
Although Valley Fine Foods will be shifting production away from its original plant on May 1, the company said it will continue to operate its headquarters and culinary development center in Benicia, which includes a 30,000-square-foot warehouse. The company’s existing facility in Yuba City, Calif., located approximately 100 miles north, will handle all West coast manufacturing.
