Conagra Brands, Chicago, announced plans to expand operations at its Beaver Dam, Wis., Birds Eye facility, a project expected to create about 140 full-time jobs over the next five years.

Conagra Brands plans to invest approximately $78 million to modernize and expand the 350,000-square-foot cold storage and vegetable packaging facility, which supports the Birds Eye frozen vegetables operation. The Birds Eye operations are supported by almost 800 employees at both the Beaver Dam and Darien, Wis., plants.

In addition to the 140 jobs expected to be added by the company, an economic modeling study estimates the project could indirectly create 84 additional jobs in the region. Those 226 jobs could generate more than $360,000 annually in state income tax revenue. In addition, the expansion itself could create up to 277 direct jobs during the life of the project.

Pinnacle Foods, Parsippany, N.J., took ownership of the Beaver Dam plant in February 2018. Then, Conagra announced plans to acquire Pinnacle Foods.