Specialty snacks manufacturer Red River Foods Inc. is committing $16.5 million to open a new processing facility for tree nuts, seeds, and dried fruits and a warehouse in Richmond, VA, according to a recent release issued by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP). The project is expected to create 60 new positions.

“We have called the Richmond region home since my father, Jim Phipps, moved the company from New York to Virginia in 1991,” Dan Phipps, the firm’s CEO, said in a statement. “Although we have experienced tremendous growth since that time, a majority of our personnel expansion has been concentrated in cashew-growing counties within Africa and Asia. Investing in Henrico County is further investment in our value chain. Creating valuable jobs here in our local community is one step further in connecting our farmers to our customers.”

The vertically integrated company serves the bakery, dairy, confectionery, cereal, and snack food industries, offering more than 40 products sourced from 30 countries. Red River Foods has offices across five continents and supplies over 350 companies.

“Red River Foods’ significant expansion speaks volumes about the business climate and top-notch talent in Central Virginia,” Gov. Ralph Northam said in the release. “Food and beverage processing is Virginia’s second-largest manufacturing sector and one of our fastest-growing industries. Red River Foods has been based in Richmond for 30 years and the company’s continued success here is another important testament to the Commonwealth’s status as the best place to do business.”

Products sold by Red River Foods include pine nuts from China, figs from Turkey, strawberries from Thailand, and Brazil nuts from Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil.