July 28, 2004
Thomasville - Flowers Foods is Thomasville's flagship industry, but for years folks here have been asking one question, "where's the beef?", asks Don Sims, Chamber President.
Now, there is an answer. "We are focused on ground beef. We feel to be successful you have to have a small niche," says Barry Renninger. "The niche is ground beef, and the plant here in Thomasville, we're going to be doing prepackaged ground beef."
You may not recognize the company by name, but you certainly would by product. Fairbank Farms is Wal-Marts oldest supplier of ground beef, and American Food service has been putting the beef in your whoppers for 30 years. Burger King actually suggested American Fresh Foods, the joint venture between the two companies, open a facility in Thomasville.
Renninger, President of American Foodservice says, "I feel there's a since of community here that everyone, they feel like they're very tight and I think it's going to be an easy place to do business."
And while they're doing business, they'll be creating more. "Our city basically lives and dies on its profits from its utilities," says Mayor Rick Singletary. "Obviously when we can recruit a clean industry like this, that uses lots of power, that's obviously a big, big reason that we were interested in them."
Another big, big reason to be interested in the company is the 100 jobs that will be created in the first three years of production.
The 75,000 foot facility will be built on Thomasville's west by-pass. The plant is expected to be in production next spring.
posted at 4:44 PM by karen.collier@walb.com
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