Mount Franklin expands candy operation
Mount Franklin Foods has opened a new candy manufacturing facility that will add 130 million pounds of capacity in soft non-chocolate candy from the branded, contract and private label manufacturer of candy, nuts, snacks, foodservice items and ingredients.
The 220,000-square-foot facility is now open in San Jeronimo, a port entry in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, across the U.S. border from Santa Teresa, N.M., and the company’s headquarters in El Paso, Texas. It first broke ground in February 2019.
Earlier in the year Mount Franklin acquired the Arro food processing business for bake mix, powdered beverages, ingredients for cereals, trail mix and nut categories, joining its candy, mints, nut products, gummies, jellies, fruit snacks and snack mixes for private label but also under the brands Sunrise Confections, Azar Nut and Hospitality Mints.
The new candy facility expands its candy production, including its Sunrise Confections brand. The first line will open next month with the second production line being fully operational by the second quarter of 2021.
The facility will bring more than 300 new jobs to the community.
"The additional capacity at this facility allows for continued growth and helps ensure we remain the trusted resource for quality candy and fruit snack products in the retail and co-manufacturing markets," said Enrique Grajeda, president and CEO of Mount Franklin Foods. "Additionally, it will enable us to continue to develop new and exciting items within the soft sugar category."
The facility will also house a packaging line, serving a wide variety of bag sizes and final packaging configurations, and research and development teams to support further innovation into its products.