| Amy's Kitchen Breaks Ground in White City, Ore. |
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California Frozen-Food Maker Picks Oregon for Produce, Cost Savings
 Governor Kulongoski joined Amy’s Kitchen executives and community leaders August 19th to break ground on a new processing plant in White City, Ore., near Medford. Amy’s Kitchen is the nation’s leading manufacturer of natural frozen food products, many of which are prepared with Oregon agricultural ingredients. With annual sales of more than $100 million, the company has grown nearly 25 percent this year, forcing the company to expand its manufacturing space. To accommodate growth, Amy’s Kitchen is investing over $17 million in building a plant in White City which will create more than 300 new jobs.
Winning the Amy’s Kitchen expansion involved intense coordination among multiple state agencies. The Economic Revitalization Team (ERT) coordinator played a key role in facilitating state agency involvement which included:
The Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (OECDD) business development officers assisted the company with site selection options, business financing, infrastructure planning, and workforce training.
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) provided assurances to Amy’s Kitchen about the ownership and development of the site through a Prospective Purchaser Agreement. This insured safe development of the property, which is located partially on, and adjacent to, a small former landfill site. By working with DEQ to protectively and efficiently manage material and debris, Amy's Kitchen will realize cost savings estimated between $970,000 and $1,540,000.
The Department of State Lands (DSL) worked with the City of Medford to survey potential wetlands on the site selected by Amy’s. This up front work was instrumental in identifying the site as a feasible candidate for their expansion project.
Oregon’s Department of Transportation (ODOT) is supporting the project with an Immediate Opportunity Fund grant application to pay for a left turn lane into the Amy’s Kitchen site. ODOT is also facilitating an Industrial Rail Spur Fund grant to help pay for construction of a rail spur to the property. The proposal will allow Amy’s Kitchen to reduce truck usage, and will also strengthen the overall rail system in Southern Oregon.
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