Fit Foodz has plans to open a new poultry processing plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The plans were recently announced by the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA).
The new facility will include a raw processing line and a fully-cooked line, with two shifts working both lines. The company will expand the current footprint of a building that sits on a seven-acre lot on 39th Street. Construction on the expansion will begin in the third quarter of 2022.
TCEDA called the project, in which Fit Foodz will invest more than $15 million, “a good fit in Tuscaloosa.”
“The deep pocket of talent, the colleges and university that adds so significantly to that, a tremendous living environment and the amazing people we’ve met there really made Tuscaloosa an ideal location for us,” Fit Foodz Founder and CEO Lenna Castagna, said in a press release. “It’s a great location in a great community, and we will have plenty of room to expand.”
Fit Foodz focuses on the delivery of healthy chicken products for the foodservice and retail sectors.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Fit Foodz has operations around the globe, including Japan, Guam and Europe. The Tuscaloosa facility will allow the company to better serve its U.S. customers, Castagna said, while also keeping pace with the company’s growing global market demands.
Community leaders are welcoming Fit Foodz and its new facility.
“The introduction of Fit Foodz to our community will add to our existing poultry business base while introducing a new corporate citizen to support our continued economic growth,” said Norman Crow, chairman of the TCEDA.
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said: “I’m pleased to help welcome our newest corporate citizen, Fit Foodz, to Tuscaloosa. The opening of a Fit Foodz location in our city supports the community’s efforts to diversify our business base and job availability for our citizens. The approximately 180 jobs that will be created upon the opening of this location are well-paying jobs for a range of skill levels, and represent an excellent opportunity for our workforce.”
Fit Foodz was established in 2000 and is a woman- and minority-owned business.
