It has had the permit for a couple months, but it was announced yesterday afternoon that Kunzler and Company is planning a $4.5 million expansion to the operation in Tyrone.
The expansion will be in the Snyder Township portion of the facility.
Kunzler’s have operated the facility since the purchase in 1984 of the former Juniata Packing Company. Since the Kunzler’s have taken over, the work force has grown from 40 to 190.
The new facility will house Kunzler’s bacon processing operation and will include a new slicing and packaging area, two new smoke houses, storage areas for dry goods and raw materials, a new curing area, as well as seven new tempering freezers.
“This will give us the capability to double our bacon production,” said Dave Grazier, vice president of the Tyrone Division of Kunzler and Company. “We are currently producing 250,000 pounds per week of bacon and this expansion will allow us to go up to 500,000 pounds.”
There will be several new utility areas built to support the new addition.
Expanding the bacon operation of Kunzler’s was a natural part of the company’s growth.
“We didn’t make any bacon here in Tyrone until the second year that Kunzler owned the operation in 1985,” said Grazier. “In just 17 years, we have grown the bacon output into the third largest product that Kunzler produces. When you grow from not producing any bacon to 250,000 per week in 18 years, it gives the company the incentive to grow more. We have the natural wood smoke houses here that lend to making a good product.”
The facility recently expanded in 1999 when it built a new meat slicing facility in the former Dino’s Pizza building across Washington Avenue from its original building.
The $4.7 million expansion will add an additional 22,000 square feet of storage and production space to the current 63,000 square feet of space that Kunzler’s has at its disposal now.
The 25 jobs that will be added at Kunzler’s may be the start of more to come.
“We have three bacon slicing lines right now,” said Grazier. “With the expansion we will be adding one more and have room for another two. If the demand is there we could add two more lines which would add another 36 jobs or so.
“Ground is to be broken in May,” said Grazier. “We have some upgrades to our electrical and refrigeration units to do as part of the project. We expect it to be in full operation by October or November.”
In addition to the new bacon processing plant, Kunzler’s will add a new cooling unit behind the original facility in Snyder Township.
“I’m very happy that we can announce this expansion,” said Grazier. “This is one of the reasons I wanted to come home. It proves that Kunzler is willing to put their money back into the community. It makes our employees feel good about what we are doing here. Kunzler is a very progressive company and the growth that they have will benefit this community.”
The company also announced a $1.8 million expansion at its Lancaster facility.
