The Mayor and Council of the City of Mount Pleasant along with the Boards of the Mount Pleasant Industrial Development Corporation and the Industrial Development Foundation announced today that Newly Weds Foods Inc., a world-wide producer of food coatings, spice blends and flavorings, has selected Mount Pleasant as the location for their next production facility. The announcement came after 10 months of work and negotiations which ended with the Governor’s announcement today that the Company would receive a $450,000 grant from the State’s Texas Enterprise Fund.
Newly Weds Foods is a corporate leader in the production of batters, bread crumb, cracker crumb and spice blends for the prepared food industry. The company, based in Chicago, currently has 17 manufacturing facilities in North America and 8 facilities operating overseas. Newly Weds Foods employs over 2000 employees world wide, and next year the Company will celebrate its 75th anniversary.
Newly Weds Foods has indicated the Mount Pleasant facility will be built with more than 200,000 square feet and employee over 100 persons. Investment from the company in the facility will be approximately $27 Million in plant and equipment. Construction is expected to begin in April on approximately 18 acres in the Cypress Industrial Park at the intersection of US 271 and FM 3417. The Mount Pleasant facility will produce cracker meals, dry batter mixes and spice blends for the company’s existing customers in Texas and surrounding states.
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Newly Weds Foods Groundbreaking
Mt. Pleasant, Texas | Mayor Jerry Boatner acknowledged significant assistance in landing the Newly Weds Foods project. This assistance came from local and state entities. The Texas Department of Agriculture provided a $1M Capital Fund Grant which will be used to construct a rail spur to serve the company. This Grant amount, called a “Jumbo” is one of only two available within the State each year. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development worked with the community in providing “Enterprise Project Designation” which allows the company specific cost savings in their construction.
The local incentive package included partial tax abatement as well as infrastructure work and site improvement monies. The Mount Pleasant IDC provided funds for construction of a road and sewer improvements in the Industrial Park as well as funds to offset some site work. The Industrial Foundation donated land at no cost for the company’s facility as well as the rail spur. The Titus County Commissioners, NETCC and TRMC Board’s approved partial tax abatements and the North East Texas Workforce Commission pledged employee training dollars and hiring assistance to the Company.
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Texas Secretary of State - Roger Williams | Even with these incentives, the community was faced with significant competition from Oklahoma. At that point the community requested and received assistance from the Governor and the Texas Enterprise Fund. The Texas Enterprise Fund consist of monies allocated by the legislature and controlled by the Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House to be used specifically for projects deemed important to State economy.
Roger Williams, Secretary of State, visited with Newly Weds Foods representatives during a special trade mission to Chicago and reviewed the TEF application process and purpose of the fund. The application was supported regionally by letters of support from Titus County, Camp County, Franklin County, Red River County and Morris County as well as the Mayor and Councils of Daingerfield, Pittsburg, Mount Vernon and Clarksville. Significant assistance was also delivered from Representative Mark Homer and State Senator Kevin Eltiffe as well as from the regions largest employer, Pilgrims Pride Corporation. Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Speaker Tom Craddick awarded the first TEF Grant in Northeast Texas to Newly Weds Foods based on this regional approach and their desire to see additional good jobs in North East Texas.
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Roger Williams | Newly Weds Foods began their mission for a location in Texas by visiting over 14 communities within 150 miles of Dallas. After four months of evaluation that search focused on one location- Mount Pleasant, Texas. By assembling a regional team of support and a strong local effort Mount Pleasant and Titus County will enjoy the benefits of a new major industry. The region will have over 100 new jobs and benefit from the presence of another leader in the food industry. The Texas prepared food industry will have a strategically located source for a quality product and all of Texas will enjoy being home to another quality manufacturer.
For additional information contact:
Mayor Jerry Boatner
Erman Hensel, President, MPIDC
Kerry Wootten, President, MPIF
Courtney Sharp, City Manager
Charles Smith, Executive Director MPIF | 
