June 1, 2009

Sara Lee to reopen Kansas meat processing plant

The plant will produce products for the company’s Hillshire Farm and Sara Lee brands.

Sara Lee plans to invest more than US$130 million to transform the 187,000 square-foot plant which is scheduled to be operational by 2011.

CJ Fraleigh, executive vice president and chief executive of the company's North American retail and foodservice business, said the facility will strengthen their competitive advantage in value-added meats, one of Sara Lee’s top strategic categories and long-term growth drivers.

The facility will also help further build the Hillshire Farm and Sara Lee brands.

Government officials in Wyandotte County approved a measure that will grant Sara Lee a 10-year, 75 percent tax abatement for the project. In return, the company said it would set aside 55 percent of the new jobs the project will create for county residents.