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MEDIA ALERT:
Bel Brands Media Contact:
Kimberly Mulcahy
kmulcahy@belbrandsusa.com
(312) 267-1840 office
(630) 567-0299 cell
GOED Media Contact:
Mary Lehecka Nelson
mary.leheckanelson@state.sd.us
(605) 773-3301 (office)
(605) 280-2026
WHAT: Bel Brands USA Groundbreaking Ceremony with honored guests, followed by a celebration reception. The ceremony will commence the construction of the $100 million new Mini Babybel production facility in Brookings. Bel Brands USA will be thanking officials and members of the community for their support and counsel regarding the company’s decision to choose Brookings as the site for its third U.S. manufacturing facility.
WHO: Bel Brands USA and Bel Group executives and staff, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard and staff, Brookings Mayor Tim Reed, representatives from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the City of Brookings, The Brookings Economic Development Corp., South Dakota State University, and other invited officials and community members.
WHERE: The future site of the new Bel Brands USA Mini Babybel plant, located along 34th Avenue. (Alternative location if ground is muddy -- 32nd Avenue cull-da-sac along tree line.)
WHEN: Thursday, June 28th, 10:30 a.m. CDT
BACKGROUND: Earlier this year, Bel Brands USA, headquartered in Chicago, announced plans to invest approximately $100 million to build a new 170,000 square-foot Mini Babybel manufacturing facility on a 48-acre site along 32nd Avenue near the I-29 corridor in Brookings, S.D. Bel Brands manufactures and markets The Laughing Cow cheese wedges and Mini Babybel – America’s #1 branded snacking cheese, as well as Boursin, Merkts, Kaukauna and other natural and gourmet cheese spreads. Bel Brands USA currently has two other production facilities in the U.S., located in Leitchfield, Ky., and Little Chute, Wis.
Bel Brands expects to hire more than 200 employees when the first phase of the plant becomes fully operational by mid-2014. Phase 1 of the project will have a production capacity of approximately 22 million pounds or 10,000 metric tons of Mini Babybel. The second phase of the plant, which is contingent on anticipated increased market demands, is envisioned to be built in 2016-2017 and will bring another 200 jobs to the area.
About Bel Brands
Bel Brands USA, Inc. manufactures and markets branded cheeses, including The Laughing Cow® cheese wedges and Mini Babybel® – America’s #1 branded snacking cheese; as well as Boursin®, Kaukauna®, Port Salut®, Leerdammer®, WisPride®, Merkts®, Owls Nest®, Connoisseur®, and Price*s® natural and gourmet cheese spreads. The mission of Bel Brands USA is “To delight people with a great tasting, unique cheese experience that fits their lifestyle.” Bel Brands USA was named as one of Chicago’s “101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” from 2009 - 2011. Bel Brands USA is a subsidiary of Paris-based Fromageries Bel, a world leader in branded cheeses. Visit www.bel-group.com or www.thelaughingcow.com.
About Bel
The Bel Group is a world leader in branded cheeses. Its portfolio of differentiated and internationally recognized brands, including such products as The Laughing Cow, Kiri, Mini Babybel, Leerdammer, and Boursin, as well as some 20 local brands, enabled the Group to generate sales of €2.5 billion in 2011. Nearly 11,400 employees in some 30 subsidiaries around the world contribute to the Group's success. Its products are prepared at 27 production sites and distributed in over 120 countries.
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