Premium cheese manufacturer MDS Foods Inc. is set to expand its Tullahoma, Tennessee operations with a nearly $9 million investment, the governor’s office announced last week.
The Ohio-based manufacturer will add roughly 10,000 square feet for new cheese production lines and 48,000-square-feet of cooler space for distribution of finished products, according to a news release. MDS Foods has supplied cheese slices, shreds, cubes and loaves to U.S. supermarket delis and restaurants for nearly 20 years.
“We are excited to continue growing by expanding our team here in Tullahoma,” said President Jim Straughn in a statement, noting the business has been in that area for 15 years.
MDS Foods served as a redistributor of cheeses until opening its own manufacturing facility in Tennessee in 2008, according to the company website. By 2014, the company had also built a new cheese packaging facility.
The expansion will create 75 new jobs, growing MDS Foods’ Tennessee workforce to an estimated 200 people.
While MDS Foods is expanding in Tennessee, other food manufacturers including SK Food Group and HealthVerve have announced plans to start production in the state in recent months.
“Tennessee's quality workforce and unmatched business climate make our state the ideal location for companies to succeed,” Gov. Bill Lee said in a statement.
The state has a host of manufacturing-friendly policies. With its low taxes, right-to-work law making union membership for workers optional, as well as designating manufacturing as one of five types of companies which qualify for tax incentives to relocate or expand in Tennessee, the state has racked up millions of dollars in industry investment already this year.
