Shearer’s potato chip production factory opens in Moraine following $110M investment

About 60 million pounds of chips, treats, and other snacks will be coming out of the new Shearer’s Foods production facility filling the former General Motors vehicle painting facility off Stroop Road in Moraine, according to the company.

Shearer’s leaders, the Dayton business community, the city of Moraine, and lawmakers celebrated the opening of the $110 million, redeveloped facility, located at 4100 Springboro Pike.

“We’re excited to celebrate this important milestone in Dayton,” said Bill Nictakis, Shearer’s Foods CEO. “This facility reflects our ongoing focus on growth, innovation, and delivering high-quality snacks to our customers, while also creating new opportunities in the communities where we operate.”

Formerly a GM facility that closed in 2008, the 390,000-square-foot Moraine site will now produce tortilla chips, potato chips, and baked chips, and it includes a fully automated variety pack packaging line.

Shearer’s Moraine facility expands the company’s manufacturing network to 17 facilities in North America and the fourth location in Ohio.

“We are an Ohio company at heart,” said Pablo Cussatti, Shearer’s chief supply chain officer.

In 1974, Bob and Tom Shearer began frying and selling chips from their father’s garage, Cussatti said. From there, the Massillon-based company has grown to one of the largest suppliers of private label and contract brand snacks in the U.S., he said.

The company as a whole has more than 5,000 employees with more than 200 jobs at the Moraine facility. The company aims to offer more than 600 jobs in the future, he said.

Cussatti and other reflected on how the availability of manufacturing jobs can impact a community.

“My father worked in a factory for 35 years on the off shift six days a week…and because of his sacrifice, I’m able to do what I do,” Cussatti said. “So I understand the needs of the families, the expectations we have, and we’re grateful for all our employees.”

Choosing Montgomery County for its latest production facility will make a difference in a number of local residents’ lives, said Montgomery County Commissioner Mary McDonald.

“These jobs represent what makes life worthwhile. Citizens who are able to have an income that will take care of their families, that will bless the community, that’s what you done here today,” McDonald said.

State Rep. Tom Young, R-Washington Twp., worked on an assembly line for Frigidaire, an appliance company, while he was going to college, he said. Frigidaire was eventually sold to White Consolidated Industries, and then they closed their local facilities, too.

“This story has been going on for a very long time,” Young said.

The facility was once on the chopping block, according to U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, but local government officials saw there was potential in the GM plant.

“The city of Moraine received phone calls from scrappers that wanted to demolish this entire site,” Turner said.

In the past when he was asked if he believed anyone would redevelop the site in the future, Turner said, “No one can redevelop the site if it becomes a parking lot.”

Now, the former GM site has just about been refilled.

“Although there is still additional land property to be redeveloped, this was the last remaining building to be renovated,” said Moraine Mayor Teri Murphy.

JobsOhio’s site selection services received credit for connecting Shearer’s to the Moraine facility, which offers the company nearby access to the Interstate-75 and Interstate-70 interchange for its supply chain needs.

“We know that this was competitive,” said Tim Derickson, JobsOhio Food & Agribusiness managing director. “But it was easy for us to encourage your investment.”

Shearer’s is receiving $12.5 million in federal tax credits, along with a 1.449%, eight-year state tax credit, for the facility. The credit means that for eight years, the company can claim a 1.449% credit on new Ohio payroll related to the project location.

DDN