Savoie's Sausage and Food Products Inc. is expanding their facility in St. Landry Parish.
On Wednesday President Frederick Lafleur of Savoie’s Sausage and Food Products Inc. and Gov. John Bel Edwards announced a $12.7 million expansion of the company’s food production facility near Opelousas.
The Expansion, accoridng to a release, will broaden its distribution area. The project includes construction of a 41,000-square-foot facility and installation of new production equipment. The larger facility is expected to nearly double Savoie's production.
Savoie’s will retain 100 employees and create five new direct jobs. The new jobs will provide an average annual salary of $40,000, plus benefits, and Louisiana Economic Development estimates the expansion will result in 11 new indirect jobs, for a total of 16 new jobs in St. Landry Parish. The project also will generate an estimated 172 construction jobs in St. Landry Parish.
Construction will start in January 2020 with an estimated completion by August 2020. Commercial operations in the new facility are expected to begin in September 2020.
“Those of us who work for Savoie’s Sausage and Food Products Inc. are privileged to carry on the tradition of cooking and distributing the products made from the recipes of our founder, Eula Savoie, who passed away in January of 2010,” Lafleur said. “We believe that she would be happy to see her family business expanding and her products distributed to more and more customers. Her legacy to her family, employees and customers continues to grow, and those of us who were fortunate enough to have known her, worked with her and learned from her, take pride in carrying the business that she created forward into 2020 and beyond."
Savoie’s has participated in Louisiana’s Economic Gardening Initiative, facilitated by LED’s Small Business Services team. The program provides participating companies with market research, a review of core strategies and an analysis of threats and opportunities. Officials say that Savoie’s exposure to those market research strategies served as a catalyst for the new expansion.
“We are grateful to have companies like Savoie’s Foods in St Landry Parish,” said Parish President Bill Fontenot. “Their leadership and their employees are true assets to the parish, and we are delighted to help promote their continued company growth.”
According to a release, Louisiana Economic Development began working on the expansion with Savoie’s in July 2018. To secure the facility expansion in St. Landry Parish, the State of Louisiana offered the company a competitive incentive package that includes a performance-based, forgivable loan of $100,000 from the state’s Economic Development Award Program. Additionally, Savoie’s is expected to participate in the state’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.
“Savoie’s is a great example of collaborative business expansion outreach that leads to growth opportunities for local companies,” said Executive Director Bill Rodier of St. Landry Parish Economic Development. “Our local, regional and state economic development partners all contributed to making this exciting expansion a reality. We are thankful to be a part this dynamic team, and fortunate to have such a great company joining the continued growth of our area economy.”
