COLUMBUS, Ind. — The parent company of King’s Hawaiian has more than doubled the number of new jobs it plans to bring to Bartholomew County over the next four years.
That’s according to Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp. Director of Projects and Marketing Kristen Goecker, who addressed the Bartholomew County commissioners Monday morning.
Irresistible Foods Group, Inc., the corporation that owns the King’s Hawaiian brand, announced plans in December to invest $150 million into a food manufacturing facility. Company officials projected at that time that 147 new jobs would be created by 2027 with an average wage of $29.94 an hour.
On Monday, Goecker announced the same corporation will invest an additional $40 million into expanding their original building and construction plans, as well as an additional $14 million for new equipment to create an additional 150 jobs.
Last year, the company estimated the initial jobs will pay an average wage of $29.94 per hour. On Monday, Goecker told the commissioners the jobs being created by the expansion would provide an average $25.27 an hour.
The facility will be built off County Road 200W, east of the Indiana Premium Outlets.
