09 Feb NOW Foods Announces Accelerated Completion of Manufacturing Facility and 100 Related Jobs
NOW Foods anticipates hiring new employees as early as March
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2012 CONTACT: Scott Walquist, KPS3, 775-686-2116, scott@kps3.com
Sparks, Nev. – Today. NOW Foods, an international manufacturer and distributor of health food and nutritional supplements, announced an accelerated completion date for the second phase of its new 130,000 square foot west coast distribution and manufacturing facility in Sparks, Nev. Phase two features installation of equipment and related building improvements required to complete the manufacturing portion of its local operation. Due to the accelerated timeline for the manufacturing operation, NOW Foods also announced that they will begin hiring for the newly created manufacturing, management and chemist jobs beginning in March 2012. “NOW Foods achieved tremendous global growth in the last year, allowing us to accelerate the completion of phase two of the west coast distribution and manufacturing facility sooner than expected,” said Al Powers, CEO of NOW Health Group. “Because of the business-friendly environment Nevada offers, it made sense to move so quickly here. This is a great opportunity to accommodate our high growth rate and better serve our customers, and work with the northern Nevada community to generate positive economic movement.” The full-time jobs being created with phase two of the project will include manufacturing management, skilled machine operators, chemists, as well as some warehouse and general labor, with multiple shift options. Within 18 months, NOW Foods expects to hire 100 employees in northern Nevada for the manufacturing operation, along with additional hires for its distribution operation. NOW Foods, a manufacturer of dietary supplements, sports nutrition, personal care and nutritional foods based in Bloomingdale, Ill., currently operates a distribution facility at 990 Packer Way in Sparks, which opened in 2003. “The high quality workforce in northern Nevada will reduce the need to relocate most of our management level employees as we will be able to hire qualified managers and scientists right here,” said Jim Emme, president of NOW Foods. “The exceptional and educated work force that the region has to offer is another reason NOW Foods is excited to increase its operations in northern Nevada. Originally scheduled to be completed in 2014, NOW Foods worked closely with United Construction Company (UCC) to expedite the development of phase two of the project, moving the completion date to the third quarter of 2012. Phase one of the project that includes the warehouse/distribution facility built by UCC, is scheduled to be completed in March 2012. “United Construction has been an incredible partner in making phase two a reality,” said Emme. “We have a great deal of trust in United Construction to be able to meet our accelerated goals with this project. We have also received great support from elected and appointed officials in Nevada, including Governor Brian Sandoval, who understand our regulatory challenges and who has given NOW Foods the confidence to move forward with this project. The City of Sparks, EDAWN and The Chamber also played large roles in this project, assisting us in overcoming any obstacles that we faced to achieve and meet our accelerated timeline for the project.” Once the manufacturing improvements are complete in the third quarter of 2012, NOW Foods will have the ability to manufacture and ship its products regionally, versus shipping all products from its mid-west U.S. operation, creating a more efficient and sustainable business model. NOW Foods’ manufacturing facility in Sparks, Nev. will prevent the need for off-shore manufacturing of products to meet the demands of NOW Foods growing customer base. With the completion of the manufacturing operation in Sparks Nev., NOW Foods will have invested more than $20 million into the operation in northern Nevada, the company’s largest single facility investment ever. United Construction Company was awarded the contract for the NOW Foods design-build project located at 575 Vista Blvd. in Sparks in June 2011 and broke ground in July 2011. The new facility consists of 70,000 square feet of warehousing and distribution, 50,000 square feet of manufacturing, 6,000 square feet of office and 4,000 square feet of cooler/freezer space. The project was designed to cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) Pharmaceutical Standards. NOW Foods will pursue USGBC LEED Silver Certification for the new Sparks facility by meeting or exceeding the local development and green building standards. “United Construction is happy to have the opportunity to work with NOW Foods to bring such a positive economic impact to northern Nevada,” said Craig Willcut, president/CEO of United Construction. “Our community is fortunate to have NOW Foods expand its operation in our region and invest its resources not only to succeed as a company, but help northern Nevada succeed economically.” Those interested in applying for the newly created jobs that offer multiple shifts can visit www.NOWFoods.com beginning in March. About NOW Foods Founded by Elwood Richard in 1968, NOW has grown from a small, family operation to a highly respected, global manufacturer of natural health products. Today, NOW manufactures and distributes over 1,500 dietary supplements, natural foods, sports nutrition, and personal care products. NOW’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility has been cGMP certified since 2000, and its quality testing labs are among the most advanced in the industry. The company has over 600 employees and its products are sold in more than 60 countries. For over 40 years, the company has remained family owned and operated, and is committed to its original mission of providing value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives. For more information please visit www.NOWFoods.com. About United Construction United Construction is one of Nevada’s leading design/build and construction services firms, providing more than 30 years of best-in-class services to a wide variety of customers in the western United States. United Construction’s portfolio includes more than 35 million square feet of successful building project completions for both public and private sector customers. For more information, please call Michael Russell at (775) 858-8090 or visit their website at www.UnitedConstruction.com.
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