Flowers Foods Inc., a Georgia-based producer and marketer of packaged bakery foods, has announced plans to purchase 30 acres in the newly constructed Nelson County Industrial Park, with an option to buy an additional 24 acres later. The company plans to build a 200,000-square-foot bakery that will house high-volume bread and bun production lines. The new facility, which represents an investment of $52 million, will employ 145 workers.
Flowers currently operates 36 bakeries throughout the Southeast that produce breads, buns, rolls, snack cakes and pastries, which are distributed to foodservice and retail customers in the southeastern, southwestern and mid-Atlantic states.
Flowers’ brands include Nature’s Own and Cobblestone Mill soft variety and specialty breads; Sunbeam, Bunny, Mary Jane and other white bread brands; and Blue Bird and Mrs. Freshley’s snack cakes and pastries.
“Demand for our baked foods continues to grow as we expand our geographic territory and gain greater share within our existing core markets,” said George E. Deese, chairman, chief executive officer, and president of Flowers Foods.
“Bardstown is strategically located at the northern part of our current market territory for our fresh baked foods and this bakery will help serve new markets as we expand northward.”
Construction on the new plant is slated to begin in January. Flowers expects to have the plant’s bread line in production by fall, with the bun line added at a later date.
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