Specialty food service company will add 35 new jobs to its workforce
Valley Foods, a family-owned food service company that has been serving the National Guard for nearly a quarter-century, has announced plans to expand at its Youngstown facility, adding 35 new jobs to its operations, bringing total employment to 62. The company received a $1.3M loan from JobsOhio to support the expansion.
The project consists of an expansion of approximately 7,200 square-feet of manufacturing space and 6,200 square feet of refrigeration and freezer space. The addition in Downtown Youngstown will enhance continued development and growth in the area.
The impetus for this growth is company leadership’s desire to expand their product lines as they add to their food sterilization capabilities; these enhancements will enable Valley Food Systems to bid on additional Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) contract work.
“We are very excited about our expansion and adding additional employment opportunities to our hometown of Youngstown. Our products are exceptional and we look forward to continuing to bring quality products to our military and expanding our customer base with our retort products,” says John M Valley, Vice President of Valley Foods.
The city of Youngstown, Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, JobsOhio and Team NEO are collaborating with Valley Food Systems to support these expansion plans, providing a variety of resources and insights to help bring the project to fruition.
“Valley Foods has carved out a niche in the food industry. Their continued success and expansion as a Youngstown company operating in the Valley for decades is a great story to be celebrated,” said Sharon Woodberry, Director of Economic Development for the City of Youngstown. “It is vital to support existing businesses that are a source of employment to local residents.”
“We’re always pleased to support the needs of a growing family-owned business. This expansion will position Valley Food Systems for future opportunities within its industry and support the ongoing revitalization of the downtown Youngstown business district. We’re proud to have the company in our community,” said Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Economic Development Sarah Boyarko.
“Valley Food Systems’ commitment to the Mahoning Valley is a testament to our robust food processing and manufacturing industry — including our talented workforce,” added Team NEO CEO Bill Koehler. “Along with our local partners and JobsOhio, we look forward to continuing to work with the company’s leadership team to ensure their continued success.”
About Valley Food Systems
Over 60 years ago Mary Ann and John A Valley began their home based catering service. Soon, their small family business grew into the full-fledged food service company that is known today as Valley Food Systems. Over the past 40 years, Valley Food Systems has been serving The National Guard with an innovative zero-waste A-Rations program.
Valley Food Systems serves customers throughout America on military bases and wherever natural disasters occur with a wide array of custom and private label manufacturing.
About Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber
The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber is a private, nonprofit economic development organization serving Mahoning and Trumbull counties in northeast Ohio. The Regional Chamber supports local expansion and attraction of new investment and job creation in the two-county area by providing services such as site selection, customized research and program coordination. The Regional Chamber is currently managing nearly $1.2 billion of pending investment that is expected to be announced over the next 12 to 24 months. For more information, visit www.regionalchamber.com.
About Team NEO
Team NEO is a private, nonprofit economic development organization accelerating business growth and job creation throughout the 18 counties of the Northeast Ohio Region. As the designated JobsOhio Network Partner, we align and amplify local economic development efforts in the region’s 18 counties; we conduct research and data analysis to inform local conversations and influence solutions; we market the Northeast Ohio Region; and we work to increase access to jobs, education and training for the region’s 4.3 million people. We do this to build a more vibrant regional economy – one that is more talented, equitable, competitive, innovative, resilient and prosperous. For more information, visit teamneo.org.
About JobsOhio
JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.