SK Food Group Inc., one of North America’s leading custom food manufacturers, gathered with local city, county, and state of Tennessee officials for a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of their future 552,000 square foot food processing and cold storage distribution facility.
The first phase of this three-phase project, which will include the latest state-of-the-art automation technology for sandwich assembly and food handling, is expected to be completed in 2025.
In conjunction with the project, SK Food Group will be entering into a partnership with the PIE Center, a Bradley County Schools educational and industrial training program, to provide specialized employee training.
The project is expected to create 840 new jobs to the local area by the year 2030 and includes a variety of environmental, social and governance focused initiatives such as pursuing LEED Silver certification for the new facility through special design features including harvesting rainwater and using heat from refrigeration compressors to heat water and office spaces, and developing an exterior covered pavilion for employee breaks and other activities.
“We are very excited to be officially breaking ground on our newest state-of-the-art facility,” said Dustin Dixon, president of SK Food Group. “We are also pleased that we will be generating 840 new jobs in the Cleveland region and leveraging Cleveland’s best-in-class PIE Center, coupled with our own proprietary training and educational programs, to provide skills development to community members.”
“We are very much looking forward to becoming part of the fabric of the local community and economy,” added Mr. Dixon