Wednesday July 24, 2002

Agrilink to Produce New 'Heart Spoonful' Soup in Fulton

By Staff Writers

Agrilink Foods is launching a new product nationwide - Hearty Spoonfuls - in move that involves an investment of more than $750,000 in the Fulton plant that will result in the creation of 20 more jobs locally.

The local plant was in competition to win the product line with another Agrilink plant in Wisconsin, but an incentive package put together by economic development officials and other officials helped the company choose Fulton for the new product line.

?The new soup is loaded with Birds Eye vegetables, chuncks of chicken and pasta, potatoes or rice in a seasoned broth,? said Agrilink Plant Manager Millard Sullivan during a press conference Wednesday.

?We at Agrilink see it as our Birds Eye brand bringing the marketing of soup to a new level. Packaged in a convenient microwaved plastics container, Hearty Soups brings Birds Eye and soup to the forefront of the growing bowl category in our business,? Sullivan said.

The new soup line will build on the product line expanded last year with the fresh frozen fruit line. Production is estimated at 1.6 million cases per year (each case has 12 frozen bowls of soup).

L. Michael Treadwell, executive director of Operation Oswego County, said his organization was able to package grants and Empire Zone benefits amounting to more than $350,000 as a competitive incentive to win this brand new product line for Agrilink-Fulton.

Other funding sources include a $75,000 grant from Sen. Jim Wright?s Sate Initiative, $25,000 from the Oswego County?s Economic Development Initiative Fund and $25,000 from Fulton Community Development Agency.

Sen. Wright said the expansion is a result of the strong partnership with New York state. ?Under Gov Pataki?s leadership, we have provided Agrilink ?Power for Jobs,? Empire Zone benefits and two direct economic development grants for a successful series of expansions,? he said.

Agrilink plant manager said that ?this funding will not only help our Fulton plant increase its local presence but will also contribute to the continuing growth of our company.?

Agrilink is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pro-Fax Cooperative, an agricultural marketing cooperative based in Rochester. The plant is celebrating 100 years in Fulton this year and has about 250 employees in Fulton.