Really Cool Foods® Celebrates Grand Opening of its National Production and Distribution Center in Indiana
Company Executives Join State and Local Officials to Announce Indiana as Home to New Corporate Headquarters
Cambridge City, IN (PRWEB) October 23, 2008
Really Cool Foods, a leading natural and organic prepared foods company, held a ribbon cutting ceremony today to announce the grand opening of its $24 million state-of-the-art production and distribution center located in Cambridge City, Indiana. The 78,200 square foot facility incorporates the latest in technology in both food preparation and packaging. This is the first development of a planned complex employing approximately 250 workers once at full capacity in Phase One with more than 1,000 jobs planned with the development of future phases.
"This is a tremendous day for Really Cool Foods. Our passion and mission is realized with the opening of this facility," said Michael Recanati, founder and CEO of Really Cool Foods. "The people of Indiana have welcomed us and we have a first-class workforce that will provide Really Cool Foods the ability to move forward with our national growth strategy."
Recanati, who was joined by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and hundreds of business and community leaders, announced Really Cool Foods will move its corporate headquarters from New York City to the new Cambridge City facility effective immediately. This corporate relocation will bring as many as fifty new jobs and another national headquarters to the state of Indiana.
According to company executives, the new production and distribution center strengthens Really Cool Foods ability to deliver high-quality, natural and organic prepared foods to consumers through a growing network of national retailers operating in 19 states today, and 48 states very soon.
"This new facility and its strategic location in the Midwest will allow Really Cool Foods to reach new market channels and introduce new categories of prepared foods to consumers looking for healthy, cost-effective choices for themselves and their families," said Beth McDonald, co-president of Really Cool Foods. "Our commitment to quality, freshness and product innovation will continue to grow with this facility," said McDonald.
The Really Cool Foods National Production and Distribution Center utilizes the newest food safety technologies and is a USDA-certified organic commissary. The company's second commissary, located in Syosset, New York, is 35,000 square feet and is also a USDA-certified organic production facility.
"In addition to food preparation and packaging operations, the Indiana commissary facility has a research and development test kitchen that is used for custom product development in coordination with our customers and we expect to launch two new branded product lines in spring 2009," according to Michael Recanati.
Grant Lorsung, Really Cool Foods EVP and COO, highlighted the facility's commitment to quality production and authenticity. "The Really Cool Foods commissary is designed to meet or exceed all requirements and regulations for processing natural and organic foods. Our operations, as well as our in house systems for ingredient traceability and the certifications of our food products will be subject to 24/7 inspection by the USDA. We are laser focused on food safety and this facility is the realization of careful planning and a lot of hard work."
"In addition to our attention to quality, the opening of Phase One in this facility will triple the production capacity of Really Cool Foods to approximately 100,000 pounds of freshly prepared foods per day," said Lorsung.
During the grand opening ceremony, Really Cool Foods announced an agreement with Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana to donate food products which will help in 20 Indiana counties. In addition, Really Cool Foods presented a $5,000 check to the Feeding America Kids Café program which is the most expansive program for feeding children in the nation, with more than 90,000 children served each year.
ABOUT REALLY COOL FOODS
Established in February 2005, Really Cool Foods is one of the premier manufacturers of great-tasting, better-for-you, organic and natural fresh prepared foods in the United States. An extensive line of restaurant quality products offer nutritious, convenient meal solutions for the consumer's busy lifestyles. Recipes are chef-developed, tested for food safety, then prepared with artisan care and packaged in the company's two USDA-certified organic commissaries: the Really Cool Foods National Production and Distribution Center located in Cambridge City, Indiana and the Really Cool Foods Production Facility in Syosset, New York. The $24 million, more than 78,000 square foot national production and distribution center in Indiana is a state-of-the-art facility which began production in October 2008. Really Cool Foods provides fresh meal solutions to a growing network of the finest retailers and foodservice distributors across North America. For more information visit: www. reallycoolfoods. com
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