SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Hot Stuff Foods recently completed a $1.8 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-approved plant expansion. According to chairman and president Des Hague, the new plant allows the company to produce fully topped pizzas and sandwiches in its own facility to meet the increasing demands and expansion of Hot Stuff's franchise partners.
USDA approval gives Hot Stuff the capability to produce its own meat products whereas before, those products had to be purchased totally from outside suppliers.By expanding and building our own USDA [image-nocss] plant, we are now licensed to handle meat products at our own facilities, leading to greater efficiency. In addition, this offers even more opportunities to expedite new product development and implementation for our franchise partners in the U.S. and around the world, he said.
Hague added that the new state-of-the-art USDA facility is the only one of its kind in South Dakota, where the company is headquartered. We have already started manufacturing 27 new products consisting of 75 raw-material ingredients, said Hague.
He said that the development of several popular new food solutions' initiativesincluding Hot Stuff's new Palm Pizza and Market Selects sandwiches product line, as well as self-contained cooking platforms including Mac's Market and Hot Stuff Food On the Gocreated greater demands on Hot Stuff Foods and its supplier partners.
The $1.8 million plant expansion has been outfitted with the most advanced equipment and systems to allow for the best production and most sanitary environment, said Hague, We are expanding our capabilities, but just as importantly, increasing our ability to keep our arms around pivotal food solutions' components such as quality control and food safety. Locally, it allows us to continue supporting our community through increased hiring and contracting local businesses involved in the expansion of our facilities.
Hague noted that 20 new employees have been added to the Hot Stuff Foods family at the USDA plant, including 16 production and four sanitation workers and the potential to add a second shift and additional employees could happen as sales continue to rise.
Hot Stuff Foods franchises or licenses its branded food concepts in more than 1,600 locations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. Hot Stuff Foods offers a number of individual and bundled brands in various categories including Hot Stuff Pizza, Hot Stuff Food On the Go, Hot Stuff Food Xpress, Mac's Market, Smash Hit Subs, Summit Subs, C-Street Bakery, Stone Willy's Pizza, Eddie Pepper's Great Mexican Food, Asian Creations, Nap Hendrix's Southern Grill and Caff a Origins Coffee.
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