Unilever brought good news to the Kansas City area when it announced it would invest $152.5 million in upgrades at its plant in New Century, Kansas.
The plant, which produces such spreads as I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Country Crock and Imperial, currently employs 168 workers. Unilever’s improvements will create 100 new jobs at the facility.
As part of its upgrade program, Unilever will increase the size of its plant by about 50 percent, boosting it to 500,000 square feet.
In a press release announcing the move, Tom Riederer, president of the Southwest Johnson County Economic Development Corp., said that the Unilever expansion will provide yet another boost to a local business community that is already performing well.
Kees Kruythoff, North America president of Unilever, said in a written statement that the plant expansion is a key move for the company.
“The investment and expansion of our New Century spreads facility is a significant milestone in the history of Unilever U.S. and is in line with our strategy of investing back for growth in America,” Kruythoff said in his statement.
The building was designed by BNIM, with Moore Ruble Yudell, and built by JE Dunn Construction. Designed to achieve LEED Gold standards, the structure incorporates sustainable materials, giant skylights and energy-saving heating and cooling systems.
