Cacique breaks ground on new Texas dairy processing facility
The company said its new 200,000 square-foot facility will help meet growing demand nationwide. It is planning to begin operation at the new facility in the fall of 2022 and expects to create approximately 200 new full-time jobs.
The new facility will be equipped to handle dairy processing, including production of the company's Mexican-style cheeses, cremas and yogurts.
"After an extensive, national search, we are very happy to select Amarillo, Texas, as the location of our new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility," said Gil de Cardenas, CEO of Cacique, LLC.
"From our first visit, we knew that Amarillo was special. It's a vibrant, thriving and diverse melting pot of cultures and we're thrilled to become part of this local community as we put down some new Cacique family roots in the great state of Texas."
The project benefits from receiving a Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant from the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Governor Abbott said, "Amarillo is a natural home for Cacique, as the Texas Panhandle is a magnet for the manufacturing and food processing industries. Thank you to Cacique for choosing to invest in the Lone Star State. I look forward to working with them as we usher in a more prosperous future for all Texans."
In addition to the TEF grant, the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) and the City Council of Amarillo recently approved an incentive package for the expansion project.
"We are honored that Cacique chose to make Amarillo their new home," said Kevin Carter, president and CEO of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation.
"The addition of Cacique to the Amarillo community is another example of significant economic progress for the city and the Amarillo area," said Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson.
"Amarillo continues to grow with an economy that is one of the strongest in the state, if not the country. With an impressive company such as Cacique now calling Amarillo home, Amarillo's commitment to a strong and diverse economy continues."
In addition to expanding production capacity with the introduction of the new plant, Cacique intends to increase R&D to drive product innovation and to continue to sustainably enhance its national presence as part of the company's long-term growth strategy.
Cacique operates complementary facilities including a dairy processing plant in City of Industry, California, a meat processing plant in Cedar City, Utah and a salsa processing plant in Gilbert, Arizona.
The Amarillo dairy processing facility comes on the heels of an investment by Boston-based investment manager The Baupost Group, LLC, part of a round of funding earlier this year to accelerate the brand's growth.
