Lenexa, Kansas-based Hostess Brands Inc. will convert an idled factory in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, into a modern bakery. The bakery is expected to be operational in the second half of 2023 and bring approximately 150 new jobs to the community over the next three years.
Hostess Brands plans to invest $120 million to $140 million to transform the 330,000-square-foot facility into a next-generation bakery. The new bakery will increase the company’s capacity across its bakeries on its Donettes and cake platforms by approximately 20 percent. It will also enable the company to accommodate production growth in the future.
“We’ve been profitably gaining market share across the snacking categories in which we compete,” said Andy Callahan, president and CEO of Hostess Brands. “The addition of this new bakery signals our confidence that we expect the growth we have demonstrated over the last several years to continue.”
Hostess Brands’ decision to renovate an existing building will reduce the company’s costs for the new bakery as well as minimize environmental impacts.
“We are emphasizing a sustainability-first approach to this project while leveraging best practices from across our network of bakeries, and we anticipate this bakery will be our most efficient and greenest operation yet,” Callahan said.
“We are grateful for the help and support that we received from the city of Arkadelphia and the Arkadelphia Alliance, Clark County, the state of Arkansas and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and the partnerships we have entered into with these entities. We look forward to welcoming new team members to our newest bakery when it becomes operational in 2023 and to becoming a part of the Arkadelphia community.”
Hostess Brands Inc. is a sweet snacks company focused on developing, manufacturing, marketing, selling and distributing products in North America under the Hostess and Voortman brands. The company produces a variety of new and classic treats, including iconic Hostess Donettes, Twinkies, CupCakes, Ding Dongs and Zingers, as well as a variety of Voortman cookies and wafers.
For more information, visit hostessbrands.com.
