Greencore announces new manufacturing facility and innovaton centre in Des Moines

The Economic Development Council of Seattle & King County (EDC), along with multiple valued partners, is excited to welcome Greencore Group’s newest facility to King County. Greencore has signed a lease in the Des Moines Creek Business Park in Des Moines, US.

Based in Ireland, Greencore Group is a leading international manufacturer of convenience foods for some of the most successful retail and food service customers in the United Kingdom and United States.

Since entering the US market in 2008, Greencore has grown rapidly to become a leader in the manufacture of fresh and frozen food to go products. The majority of their products are sold through coffee shops, grocery stores and convenience chains under private label brands. Greencore’s US headquarters are in Danvers, Massachusetts, and the company currently operates six manufacturing facilities and delivers to over twenty-five states.

“The City of Des Moines welcomes Greencore and its new Research & Development facility to our community,” said Dave Kaplan, Mayor of Des Moines. “The city has worked hard to create an environment that supports business development while enhancing the quality of life in the community. A recruitment win like Greencore really demonstrates that our hard work and planning is paying off.”

“We are looking forward to opening our newest food manufacturing facility in Des Moines in early 2016. This site will be unique for us because it will also house an Innovation Center where we’ll conduct most of the research and development work for the US market,” said Richard McGowan, Project Manager for Greencore.

“Tens of thousands of salaries in the Central Puget Sound region are paid by foreign-owned companies, and establishing our global brand in the minds of business leaders around the world will help attract new investment and jobs,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine, who serves on the EDC Board. “This growing company is a great addition to our thriving specialty food industry and will further the reputation of King County as a great place for business to set up shop and flourish.”

The EDC provided customized research on King County covering a variety of subjects from demographic data and real estate options to incentives and introductions to the City of Des Moines. Additionally, the EDC provided assistance in navigating the jurisdictional structure in King County for the various permits and licenses the company needed for their new facility. “The EDC’s work pulling together all the important facts and figures and connecting us to city leaders and the Port of Seattle was critical in our site search. The EDC team has been an outstanding resource for us,” said McGowan.

Plans for the new manufacturing and Innovation Center/Research & Development facility include 350 jobs that will be relocated from a smaller facility, as well as the addition of 50 new jobs in 2016. The Des Moines Creek Business Park, owned by the Port of Seattle, is ideally situated with easy freeway access and plentiful space for existing operations and future growth.

“Greencore is exactly the type of tenant the Port of Seattle had in mind for the Des Moines Creek Business Park—a company committed to creating new manufacturing jobs, more employment opportunities, with a focus on responsible resource management and giving back to the Des Moines community,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner and EDC Board Member Tom Albro. “This is a great win for the EDC, the Port, the County, the City of Des Moines, Panattoni, and Greencore.” Greencore has contracted with Panattoni Development Company, the development partner to the Port of Seattle for the Des Moines Creek Business Park, to construct the build-out of the new facility.

“Panattoni has a proven track record in the development, construction and management of millions of square feet of high-quality industrial space, and we’re excited to be working with Greencore on this new facility,” said Donnie Belk, Senior Development Manager at Panattoni.

“This is a big win for the City of Des Moines and King County and we are thrilled to have assisted the Greencore team throughout the decision making process as they establish their newest manufacturing and R&D operations in King County. Not only will Greencore be adding hundreds of fantastic jobs to the City of Des Moines, they will further strengthen our reputation as a great place for international companies to set up shop and do cutting-edge research and development,” said Suzanne Dale Estey, President & CEO of the EDC.

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