New NOW Foods plant in Nevada to open significantly ahead of schedule

09-Feb-2012 - Last updated on 09-Feb-2012 at 17:56 GMT

Jim Emme: “The high quality workforce in northern Nevada will reduce the need to relocate most of our management level employees as we will be able to hire qualified managers and scientists right here.”

Illinois-based health food and supplements manufacturer NOW Foods is on course to complete its $20m new site in Nevada in the third quarter of this year, almost two years ahead of schedule.

The 130,000sq ft warehousing and manufacturing facility will enable NOW Foods to produce goods for the west coast locally rather than shipping them over from the mid-West.

Tremendous growth

The extra production capacity also means it won’t have to off-shore manufacturing to meet growing demand, said the firm, which expects to complete phase one – the warehousing facility – next month.

Phase two, which includes the manufacturing operation, should be completed in the third quarter of 2012, instead of 2014 as originally envisaged, said chief executive of NOW Health Group Al Powers.

“NOW Foods achieved tremendous global growth in the last year, allowing us to accelerate the completion of phase two of the west coast distribution and manufacturing facility sooner than expected.”

100 new jobs

The firm, which has worked closely with United Construction Company (UCC) to expedite the development of phase two, said it would start recruiting manufacturing managers, skilled machine operators, chemists, plus warehouse and general labor from next month.

Within 18 months, it expects to hire 100 employees in northern Nevada for the manufacturing operation, along with additional hires for its distribution operation, said Powers.

“Because of the business-friendly environment Nevada offers, it made sense to move so quickly here.”

NOW Foods president Jim Emme added: “The high quality workforce in northern Nevada will reduce the need to relocate most of our management level employees as we will be able to hire qualified managers and scientists right here.”

An incredible partner

United Construction was awarded the contract to build the site in June 2011, and broke ground in July 2011.

The new facility at 575 Vista Blvd. in Sparks, Nevada, comprises 70,000 sq ft of warehousing and distribution space, 50,000 sq ft of manufacturing space, 6,000 sq ft of office space and 4,000 sq ft of cooler/freezer space.

The project was designed to cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) pharmaceutical standards, and NOW Foods will also pursue USGBC LEED Silver Certification, said Emme.

“United Construction has been an incredible partner in making phase two a reality.”