3D manufacturing facility, Maxwell House seek $1.68M for expansions

[thelakelander]

Hopefully, we can land both...

By David Chapman, Staff Writer

Jacksonville could be in line for a couple of manufacturing boosts — one new, one known — in exchange for $1.68 million in taxpayer incentives.
Legislation filed this week would provide $420,000 in city and state incentives for "an established but growing international company" to open its first 3D manufacturing printing facility in North America. The unidentified company designs, manufactures and markets surgical products.

Dubbed "Project Arnica," the deal would also mean at least 25 jobs created over three years at an average wage of $70,000. The company has more than 1,000 employees worldwide.

The city seeks to terminate its past economic development agreement with Maxwell House that would have provided $425,000 for 10 jobs and a $16 million expansion to add coffee and bag lines.

Instead, there's a new deal on the table.

This one would provide $1.26 million to The Kraft Heinz Co. for a $30 million to $36 million investment to the Downtown building, infrastructure and machinery. The differences in capital investment arise in discrepancies between the project summary and development deal.

Instead of 10 jobs, the company will create 40 new jobs by 2018 at an average wage of $54,828. The plant has 218 employees in Jacksonville and 40,000 worldwide, according to the project summary.

Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=546894

[Marle Brando]

The Maxwell House one is a done deal, should be announced very very soon. Work has already begun on the inside.

[jaxjaguar]

Still would love for maxwell house to include tours. It would boost their brand, create jobs and give people something new to do downtown.

[martt12]

/\ I soooo agree!!! like a world of coca cola but a world of Maxwell House...

[thelakelander]

^I think the major difference is Coca-Cola is an Atlanta-based company. Our Maxwell House plant is one of several food processing plants across the globe that are owned and operated by Kraft Heinz. It's duel headquarters are in Pittsburgh and Chicago. A tour of a plant in podunk Jacksonville won't do anything for Kraft Heinz's brand.

[blizz01]

It works for Budweiser.  But a as far as Maxwell House is concerned, it's one of two - with the other in California.  Doubt a full blown "World of Maxwell House" would bring people in by the busload, but I still contend that they could ultimately carve out a storefront with a small museum/gift shop/cafe.

[thelakelander]

I believe all Budweiser breweries offer tours. Kraft Heinz, not so much.

[Marle Brando]

The Maxwell House in California is shutting it's doors. All the business from that plant is being concentrated to the Jax manufacturing plant. That said, the reason for the city and Max upping the deal and expanding operations here.

[thelakelander]

Here's a link detailing the pending closure of the California coffee plant:

Kraft Heinz cutbacks include 130 jobs in San Leandro coffee factory

SAN LEANDRO -- Kraft Heinz will slash 2,600 jobs nationwide, a wrenching set of cutbacks that will eliminate 130 jobs at a Kraft Foods coffee factory in San Leandro.

Maxwell House, Gevalia, Yuban and Nabob are among the coffee and tea brands made at the San Leandro factory, said Michael Mullen, a senior vice president with Kraft Heinz.

The reduction, which will take place over the next two years, is part of a plan to save $1.5 billion in operating costs by the end of 2017.

All told, seven plants are slated for closure in California, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Canada. Besides San Leandro, the other California plant that will be shuttered is in Fullerton.

Despite the looming loss of the factory, set to close within the next 12 to 24 months, San Leandro city officials believe they will be able to cope because other parts of the city's economy have rebounded, thanks largely to the surging job market in the Bay Area.

"We have been attracting more technology companies," said Jeff Kay, San Leandro's business development manager. "A lot of them have a focus on advanced manufacturing, the industrial side of tech manufacturing."

Full article: http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_29072156/kraft-heinz-cutbacks-include-130-jobs-san-leandro

[thelakelander]

I don't think there was any real pooh poohing. Just disbelief on if, when and where it would become "disruptive" on a grand level.  On that end, nothing has really changed since those days.