EDGE welcomes Falls City Foods next Tuesday

Falls City Economic Development and Growth Enterprise has announced a grand opening barbecue and ribbon cutting to welcome Falls City Foods to the community.
The Great West – Teeuwissen company, which specializes in the processing, exporting, importing and trade of animal by-products serving pet food and animal feed industries, has taken up residence in the Industrial Park at 404 Pacific St. (the former Gold Star Sausage plant, Whole Sale Meat Co. and Mickelberry). The event is planned at that location for 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 27. Free hot dogs, ice cream and refreshments will be served.
“Great West – Teeuwissen is a great company and corporate officials have been a pleasure to work with,” EDGE Executive Director Beckie Cromer said in March when announcing the company’s expansion into the area. “While there is still work to be done, we feel our strategic location and the advantages of doing business in the Falls City area will continue to move this project through the due diligence phases. The company currently operates in York, and Highlands Ranch, CO, and we are pleased they are working with Falls City as they look to expand their business to a second Nebraska location.”
The plan called for $1.7 million in capital investment for acquisition of the building and the purchase of equipment. They expected to create 20 new full-time jobs. The jobs being created are in the food processing industry and include managers, maintenance, warehouse, production and office personnel.
Great West – Teeuwissen President Doug Haycock and members of his management team made several site visits to the facility and in March said they were excited about the opportunity to launch operations in Falls City.
“We appreciate everyone who has assisted us in the site location process including the Nebraska Dept. of Economic Development and Falls City EDGE,” Haycock said. “Kris Benson and Beckie Cromer have helped us advance our goal of acquiring a second location and facilitated the complex due diligence process. Their support has been invaluable to our industry expansion project.”
Great West – Teeuwissen is proud of its long service to many segments in the meat and poultry industries and they continue to add value in areas where their many customers and suppliers find benefit. “The company will be a valuable tenant in our industrial park and we appreciate their planned contribution to the economic health and vitality of the region,” stated Cromer.
The building sat empty for some 13 years after Mickelberry’s ownership – SMG, Inc., – announced the closing of its Falls City plant in February 2002. At the time, they employed about 90 people at an annual payroll of more than $2 million.
Great West was created in 1980 and partnered with Teeuwissen Products, of The Netherlands, in 2008. Teeuwissen is one of Europe’s largest trading and processing companies specializing in the pharmaceutical, pet food, and sausage casings industries. In 2014, majority stake of Teeuwissen was acquired by the SARIA Bio-Industries, one of three branches in the Rethmann Group, of Germany. Rethmann
For more info, visit www.greatwestllc.com