A Canadian producer of private-label rice products and ready-to-heat meals will establish its first U.S. facility in Southwest Ohio, company officials announced Tuesday.
Dainty Foods, a subsidiary of France’s Marbour Group, will initially spend $85 million on the facility in the Cincinnati suburb of Batavia Township, and expects to spend a total of $150 million at the site over five years.
The plant will produce pouches and expand into cups and bowls. It will be able to manufacture up to 250 million units annually, officials said.
Les Aliments Dainty Foods Inc. CEO James Maitland called the move a “transformative milestone” for the business.
"Establishing Dainty USA LLC strengthens our presence in the U.S. market, increases production capacity with world-class automation, and brings innovative, convenient meal solutions closer to American consumers,” Maitland said in the announcement.
The first phase of production in Batavia Township is expected to be operational early next year. The company expects the completed project to create about 240 jobs.
