Hormel Foods Corp., Austin, Minn., announced plans to invest approximately $150 million in an expansion of the company’s Burke manufacturing facility in Nevada, Iowa. Burke provides pizza toppings and other fully cooked meat products in the foodservice and prepared food industries.

The 210,000-square-foot expansion is one of the largest in the company’s history. Adding to the current 225,000 square feet of production, warehouse and offices, the expansion would also add approximately 210 new jobs in addition to the current 350 team members.

“This expansion of our Burke facility is a significant and strategic investment, allowing us to continue to expand and accelerate growth in our foodservice portfolio,” says Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and CEO at Hormel Foods. “Burke has been a leader in the pizza topping industry, and this expansion will provide them with the additional capacity to meet the growing demand for its products.”

“This investment is a testament to the Burke team and the pride every one of our team members puts into the creation of our customer’s products,” says Chad Randick, president of Burke Marketing Corp., Ames, Iowa. “The expansion will be a positive force for the Nevada community, bringing added jobs and boosting the local economy. We are proud to expand in Nevada and Story County where Burke has called home since 1974.”

Construction of the planned expansion will begin in the next few months, with an expected completion date in early 2020.

Burke will continue to provide fully cooked meats to pizza operators, food manufacturers and food distributors during the expansion process.