Hero/Beech-Nut breaks ground on $124m manufacturing and processing plant

Hero/Beech-Nut is breaking ground on a new $124 million manufacturing and processing plant. The new plant, to be located in the Town of Florida Industrial Park off Rte. 55, will keep 356 jobs in upstate New York and create another 135 jobs. Hero Group, Hero/Beech-Nut's parent company is also relocating its North American headquarters from St. Louis to the town of Florida. Hero Corp. is based in Switzerland. The groundbreaking comes a year after the baby food-maker announced plans to build the 650,000 s/f processing and packaging plant in Montgomery County, N.Y. The new plant, being built outside Amsterdam, N.Y., will replace a 100 year old factory in Canajoharie that was damaged during spring flooding of the Mohawk River in 2006. Beech-Nut has made baby food at the location since 1931. The company also has a facility in Fort Plain, N.Y. Beech-Nut will benefit from $104.5 million in state and local incentives, grants and tax breaks. Empire State Development Corp. will help finance the project with up to $18 million for construction, machinery and equipment. The project is located in the Amsterdam Empire Zone, which makes Beech-Nut eligible for $42 million in tax breaks and incentives. The Montgomery County Industrial Development Agency will provide another $38.5 million in tax incentives and Beech-Nut can apply for a $2 million grant from the New York Energy Research and Development Authority, and will benefit from a $3 million grant from the New York State Assembly. The Department of Housing and Community Renewal will provide $750,000 for the project, while National Grid will provide $250,000 to help the company get established. Construction crews from Rifenburg Construction in Troy will begin excavation on the site.