Jun 7, 2007 9:48 AM

The Sheetz Corp and the Altoona-Blair County Development Corp broke ground for the new Sheetz Brothers Kitchen in Blair County PA recently. Encompassing 140,000 square feet, it will be a production operation where "made-to-go" salads, parfaits, sandwiches, wraps, and bakery products will be processed and delivered daily to all of the company's 334 stores.

This project will be in the Walter Business Park on a 60-acre site, with another 40 acres earmarked to accommodate the new facility and any future projects. Total estimated cost of the facility, including land, is estimated at $36 million. In addition, about $10.5 million in production equipment will be needed to support the facility operations.

Besides the new production facility, the project will include a 28,000-sq-ft expansion to the present distribution center.

New jobs to be created from the new operation are estimated at 435 over the next five years. This involves 300 production employees, about 85 drivers for a fleet of 50 small delivery vehicles, and another 50 employees for administrative and supporting roles.