Luigino's Preparing Groundwork for Major Expansion in Ohio

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Family owned, Luigino's Incorporated (Duluth, Minnesota), makers of frozen Italian and Chinese dinner lines Michelina's and Yu Sing's, is planning a major expansion of their frozen foods plant in Jackson, Ohio (Plant 1017334, PEC 10002934).

After canceling a new $36 million plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia earlier this year (see related IIR Industry Alert: Luigino's puts the Kibosh on New Frozen Foods Plant in West Virginia), the company decided to put the needed additional volume at their plant in Jackson.

Plans are to construct a 98,000 square foot building addition with three or four production bays to increase frozen entree production.

Currently, the company is performing dirt work and site preparation for the new building. The company selected Stockmeister Enterprises (Jackson, Ohio) as the general contractor for the $10 plus million addition.

Luigino's is hoping to have the building enclosed before winter weather sets in, so they can begin installation of equipment during the winter months. Completion of the project is expected by late summer of 2004.

Luigino's was founded by Luigino "Jeno" F. Paulucci, who created several other business success stories in his career beginning in the 1940s with Chun King Corp., which he sold 20 years later to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for $63 million. Another Paulucci enterprise, Jeno's Incorporated, was sold to The Pillsbury Company before he launched Luigino's Incorporated in 1990.