Ribbon Cutting Held for Expanded Pinnacle Foods Plant in St. Elmo

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday afternoon for a Pinnacle Foods plant in St. Elmo that is doubling its number of employees.

The plant, which has long produced Mrs. Butterworth's and Log Cabin syrups and Open Pit barbecue sauce, employed 85 people. The addition of Wish-Bone Salad Dressing production has resulted in the hiring of another 90 employees to be brought on board during the first half of the year.

Congressman John Shimkus and State Representative John Cavaletto were among the guests, along with several Pinnacle Foods corporate officials, including Tony Fernandez, Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer for the company.

(SUPERVISORS BARB GROBENGIESER AND HEATHER WORMAN AT THE PINNACLE FOODS PLANT IN ST. ELMO)

Fernandez said there were several factors that made St. Elmo the logical place for Wish-Bone production. Those include St. Elmo's geographic location in the nation, room to expand, and employee awareness of what it takes to produce the brand based on their success with the previously produced brands.

More than 50 unique varieties of salad dressings are being produced at St. Elmo. Fernandez said any Wish-Bone product you use anywhere in the nation is produced at the St. Elmo plant.

St. Elmo Mayor Ernie Meyers said the plant expansion is a boon for his community and discussed the cooperative effort involved in providing the assistance Pinnacle sought in getting the expansion completed.