Nov 19, 2012 9:23 AM

Pennsylvania Gov Tom Corbett announced that Ahold USA will invest at least $63 million to build a new meat processing facility in Cumberland County and has entered into an operating agreement with Vantage Foods to run the facility and hire at least 850 new employees.

Ahold USA considered locating a state-of-the-art, USDA-certified meat processing and packaging facility in several states, including Pennsylvania. The company ultimately chose to construct a 162,000-square-foot facility in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County.

The firm and Vantage Foods received a funding offer from the Department of Community and Economic Development. Ahold USA will receive a $1.275 million PA First grant, which will be used toward the cost of the project. Vantage Foods was offered and is eligible to apply for $360,000 in job training assistance and up to $1.7 million in Job Creation Tax Credits.

This project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, a group of economic development professionals that work directly with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania.

Headquartered in Carlisle PA and Quincy MA, Ahold USA supports four regional retail grocery divisions in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Vantage Foods is a privately held company with corporate offices based in Wichita KS, where it focuses on the production and sale of packaged meats to retail food chains. The company operates on long-term supply agreements with major retailers in North America.