Bakkavor to Open New Bakery in North Carolina

Global food manufacturing firm Bakkavor recently began construction on a new bakery facility in Charlotte, NC, according to a Feb. 6 press release by commercial and industrial builders AM King, which provided site selection, process engineering, construction services, and worked on other aspects of the project.

The 80,000-sq-ft facility will include 42,000 sq ft of space for food preparation, mixing, cooking and packaging food products like meats, sauces, baked foods, and ready-to-eat entrées, according to information on AM King’s website.

“Because this facility is being patterned after a similar outfit in England, we are utilizing international equipment vendors,” George Lehnerer, business unit leader at AM King, said in a statement. “The benefit is that these international vendors have already been used by the client in previous facilities and are familiar with the product. The challenges are potential language barriers, longer lead times in obtaining the equipment, and scheduling coordination for the equipment install.”

Bakkavor’s bakery facility will also have dry and liquid ingredient storage areas, USDA inspection offices, and a range of new equipment including spiral ovens, production grills, batch kettles, and baking-related machinery.

The Charlotte site will manufacture par-baked artisan bread products for the Harris Tweeter private label brand, according to a report by BakingBusiness.com. About 40 new jobs will be created as a result of the project, coverage by the Charlotte Business Journal said.

It is unclear when the company expects construction to reach completion.

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