B&G Foods will sell its Portland, Maine manufacturing facility and 13.5-acre waterfront property to the Institute for Digital Engineering and Life Sciences. The company plans to move manufacturing operations of B&M, Underwood, and certain other brands to third-party co-manufacturing facilities and existing B&G Foods manufacturing facilities, it said in a statement.
The Portland property will become the future home of The Roux Institute at Northeastern University, on a campus that will include partner companies, housing, and other amenities. The B&M manufacturing building will become the anchor of The Roux Campus, providing an incubator lab and office space for startup companies. The campus will be built in phases over a decade or more, and will include coastal restoration to open waterfront areas to the public.
“The Portland community has been the home to B&M for more than a century, and while this was a very difficult decision, we believe it is in the best interest for the future of Portland,” said Casey Keller, president and CEO of B&G Foods, in a statement. “We are confident The Roux Institute will build a new longstanding legacy on the property, one that will enrich Portland residents in new and exciting ways, and will endure as a force for good in the community for generations to come. We are grateful for the dedication of each of our employees and we are committed to supporting their transition with financial support and assistance finding new employment.”
There are approximately 86 employees at the Portland manufacturing facility. B&G Foods has put in place a plan to offer all eligible employees severance and career transition support.
B&G Foods does not anticipate any disruption in production or the delivery of customer orders relating to the transition of manufacturing operations, which is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2021 or the first quarter of 2022.
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Image: B&G Foods