Ruiz Food to open new manufacturing facility in Florence County, US

Ruiz Food Products, a US-based producer of frozen Mexican foods and snacks, plans to invest $55m in a former Heinz facility in Florence County, South Carolina, US, to establish a new manufacturing facility.

The move is expected to create around 500 new jobs over the next several years.

The facility, which is located in the Pee Dee Touchstone Energy Commerce City park, is Ruiz Food’s first facility on the East Coast.

The company plans to immediately commence the renovation, and expects to begin manufacturing a variety of its nationally distributed El Monterey and Tornados products in 2015.

El Monterey is the company’s flagship frozen Mexican food brand and the leading brand of frozen Mexican food in the US, offering products such as burritos, tamales, breakfast burritos and Mexican snacks.

Tornados is a leading snack available at convenience stores in the US.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, along with company officials and local economic development leaders, will attend a formal announcement event at the facility on 17 June 2014.

Governor Haley said that Ruiz Foods choosing Florence County for its first facility on the East Coast is an important development for the local community and for the state as a whole.

Ruiz Food Products president and CEO Rachel Cullen said the company’s expansion strategy included the establishment of a manufacturing facility on the East Coast.

"Our products are in high demand with significant growth on the East Coast; and for us at Ruiz Foods, it’s all about customer service. After conducting an initial search, we quickly narrowed our choice to this facility in Florence, South Carolina, " Cullen added.

Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said: "This announcement represents untold opportunities for South Carolina farmers, who are the very backbone of our state’s thriving economy."

Ruiz Foods, based in Dinuba, California, operates manufacturing facilities in California and Texas, and employs around 2,400 people.