food industry in greater reading, pa

Food & Beverage Manufacturing – What’s in Greater Reading?October 2, 2013

Pamela Shupp, AICP, CEcDVice PresidentGreater Reading Economic Partnership

Greater Reading, PA

• Population: 413,000+ and growing

• Population growth: 9.7%

• Diverse population:– Berks County: 16.4% Latino– City of Reading 60% Latino

o 88,000 people

• Over 400 companies are headquartered in Greater Reading

3Greater Reading Economic Partnership

Greater Reading Major Companies

Greater Reading, PA: Internationally Owned Companies

– Australia

– Belgium

– Canada

– Denmark

– England

– France

– Germany

– Ireland

– Israel

– Japan

– Lebanon

– Mexico

– Netherlands

– Spain

– Sweden

– Turkey

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• Over 70+ companies internationally owned, representing:

Why Greater Reading?

• Over 100 million people within an overnight’s drive

• Reliable electric grid

• Low risk for natural disasters

• Good management relations

• Competitive wage manufacturing

• Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) 147

• Keystone Opportunity Zones (KOZ)

• Convenient access to major Northeast markets


Greater Reading Food Facts

Greater Reading Economic Partnership 7

• Pennsylvania has more than 1,200 food-processing companies that do $28.1 billion in business each year. Almost 30 percent of these companies are in Berks County or the six counties bordering it.

• There are over 3,200 food manufacturing jobs in Greater Reading

• The and the were invented in Reading.

• Reading has been known as “Pretzel City” and Berks County produces one-third of all the pretzels baked in the United States. The production capabilities of our city’s industry are 15,000,000 in a 5 day week

Greater Reading Food Fact

• The production of Godiva chocolates, candy and other specialty items for the United States, is manufactured in Reading, Pennsylvania.

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Note: The Godiva plant in Brussels, Belgium manufactures for the rest of the world.

Support for the Food Industry in Greater Reading


Support for the Food Industry in Greater Reading

• Greater Reading is part of the FOOD MANUFACTURERS' TRAINING CONSORTIUM OF SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

– Covers a 10 county region

– In addition to training the Incumbent Workforce, the consortium also works together to:o Gain “Economies of Scale” by doing shared trainingo Share Best Practiceso Pursue Innovationo Advance the Industryo Leverage Grant Access


Food Products Made in Greater Reading


Recent Food Projects in Greater Reading

• Birdsboro Kosher Farms re-opened a former kosher poultry plant and has hired/re-hired 300 employees – all since January 2013. They are now considering a retail product that touts the anti-biotic free product.


• Saucony Creek Brewing is a craft brewery that has taken off on the social media scene with products that are pre-ordered and can’t be produced fast enough to meet demand.


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• Unique Pretzels is under construction with an $8.5 million upgrade and 75,000 SF expansion to their current manufacturing facility. Their pretzel shells are the latest craze in Pretzelmania.

Foreign Trade Zone 147


• Customs duties are not paid on merchandise exported from a zone

• Delays in customs clearances and duty drawback are reduced or eliminated

• Spare parts may be stored, returned, or destroyed without duty payment

Keystone Opportunity Zones (KOZ)

• Over 250 acres of tax free zones - many with benefits through 2023 and in strategic locations with ease of highway access and high visibility.


Greater Reading Economic Partnership

We are committed to growing companies.

Contact Information:

GreaterReading.com

(610) 376.437

[email protected]

Jon Scott, President and CEO

Deb Heffner, Economic Development

Coordinator

Aaron Costenbader, Marketing Manager

Pamela J. Shupp, Vice President

mailto:[email protected]

food industry in greater reading, pa

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