Salad dressing giant’s $40 million expansion gets underway

Litehouse, Inc., is expanding its Hurricane production facility. The $40 million expansion, expected to be completed by March 2018, will add 165 jobs to the community. Hurricane, Utah, May 17, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Litehouse, Inc., St. George News

ST. GEORGE — As the demand for fresh products grows across the country, Litehouse Inc., is creating new jobs while reinforcing its position in the industry by expanding its production facility in Hurricane.

Litehouse, a well-known salad dressing and refrigerated foods manufacturer, joined forces with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development last week in order to announce the expansion news.

The $40 million investment will add 165 new jobs to the Hurricane facility over the next eight years, while paying wages that exceed 110 percent of the average wage in Washington County.

Litehouse will add quality jobs to the Hurricane community and the state’s manufacturing economy,” Val Hale, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, said in a prepared statement.

The company’s expansion will triple the size of the existing facility by adding more than 180,000 square feet to the current plant. Construction is expected to be completed by March 2018.

We’re happy that Litehouse is finding success and will be expanding their presence in Washington County,” said Jeriah Threlfall, executive director of St. George Area Economic Development.

Headquartered in Sandpoint, Idaho, Litehouse has been in the family business of innovation and change for more than 50 years, the news release states. Today, the company produces and markets refrigerated food products such as salad dressing, cheese, sauces and dips, with an ever-expanding product portfolio and national distribution.

The announced expansion will increase the plant’s dressing, dip and sauce production to supply the company’s growing distribution needs throughout the U.S.

“We are so pleased to announce our expansion in Hurricane and we look forward to being a strong partner to the community that has been so supportive of Litehouse,” Jim Frank, Litehouse CEO, said. ”Our goal is to continue to add jobs to the communities that have helped us grow into a dominant leader in our industry.”

Litehouse Inc. started in the Hope, Idaho, restaurant of the Hawkins family over 50 years ago. Since that time, it states in its news release, it has become the leader in refrigerated salad dressings, veggie dips and other products. The employee-owned company manufactures all of its products in facilities based in Michigan, Utah and Idaho.

The $10 million facility in Hurricane opened in the spring of 2011. The idea to expand into the Washington County area came from a business associate who kept a vacation home in St. George and loved it here, according to the company’s history.

Read More: Litehouse Foods holds grand opening

“We are not surprised they are succeeding,” Threlfall said. “Litehouse is a great company and Hurricane City is an excellent place to do business.”

For more information about Litehouse, Inc., go online here. 

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Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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4 Comments

  • youcandoit May 19, 2017 at 12:13 am

    This is wonderful news thank you ever so much for expanding in Washington county and especially bringing great wages we desperately need here. Thank you again

  • comments May 19, 2017 at 1:53 pm

    “while paying wages that exceed 110 percent of the average wage in Washington County.”

    So would that be 9 bucks, or would that be 10 bucks an hour?

    • desertgirl May 19, 2017 at 2:48 pm

      We all can count on you comments to be a buzz kill lol

    • aviatormh May 19, 2017 at 9:53 pm

      I was thinking the same thing

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