Glanbia to open new HQ in Twin Falls, Idaho

Glanbia Foods has said it will open a new cheese innovation center and corporate offices in downtown Twin Falls, Idaho at a cost of about $15m, with construction due to begin later this year.

Glanbia Foods signed an agreement to build the new facilities with the Twin Falls Urban Renewal Agency (TFURA) at a meeting with the agency, executives from the company, and Governor Butch Otter earlier this week, Glanbia said.

It aims to open the new complex in the first quarter of 2013, and will shift about 100 employees to downtown Twin Falls from its current Twin Falls site, where it has been headquartered for 21 years. The company claims to be the largest producer of American Style cheese in the world, producing more than 830m pounds of cheese each year.

Glanbia Foods CEO Jeff Williams said in a statement: “We are relatively a quiet company, we keep our head down and work hard to deliver cheese to our customer, and that is reflected in our growth. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with Twin Falls and Idaho, the Idaho dairyman and our employees.”

He said that as the company has grown, and the cheese market has changed, the company wanted to bring its entire team under one roof, and ensure it meets customer and marketplace requirements.

“The innovation center will be an essential tool to address the changing dynamics in the marketplace,” he said.

TFURA chairman Gary Garnand said: “As an agency charged with renewing and improving the older parts of our downtown area it is no small move on the part of Glanbia to make a substantial investment in our business infrastructure and become a significant part of the resurgence we planned for over the last two years.”