PepsiCo invests $70m in Indiana Frito-Lay facility for Baked Cheetos

27-Sep-2019 - Last updated on 27-Sep-2019 at 15:57 GMT

Baked Cheetos will be one of the main snacks produced on forthcoming snack lines. Pic: SCEhardt/Wikimedia Commons

The expansion will add an additional snack line and warehouse capacity by May 2021, bringing 45 new jobs to Frankfort, Indiana.

Frito-Lay has held a presence in the town of 16,000 – located about 40 miles north of Indianapolis – for 30 years, the company told BakeryandSnacks. It already employs more than 1,100 people across two sites.

“The support of the Frankfort community in part has allowed for continued growth,” the company said, adding it will share specific job opportunities as the May 2021 end-date nears. Positions will include manufacturing and warehouse operations roles.

“Frito-Lay continuously evaluates expansion projects across the US, and Frankfort specifically was selected due to its enhanced overall site capabilities.”

The two existing sites already comprise ‘one of the largest Frito-Lay production operations.’

The $70m investment will be used to expand warehouse capacity as well as install a new line for Baked Cheetos, which contain 50% less fat (5g per serving, with 1g of saturated fat, 1.5g of monounsaturated and 2.5g of polyunsaturated).

Frito-Lay North America expects to begin construction later this year, with plans to finish the project in the second quarter of 2021.