Curly's Foods recently settled a labor lawsuit filed by five workers who sought pay for the time they spent putting on and taking off protective gear before and after their shifts.
SIOUX CITY | Curly's Foods moved forward last year with a $9 million expansion of its Sioux City plant that created 30 new jobs.
In April, Curly's informed city officials of its expansion plan, caused by a boost in sales and demand for its products.
A division of Smithfield Foods, Curly's Foods processes ribs and other pre-cooked meats at the local plant at 1000 Cunningham Drive. The company distributes its products to customers around the country, including national franchise restaurants.
The Sioux City expansion includes $6 million to add 13,000 square feet to the facility's south side, among other improvements. About $3 million was used for new machinery and equipment, like additional cooling units and ovens.
"We're happy they're looking at expansion of their facility in Sioux City," city economic development director Marty Dougherty said. "They make great products, and they've been here for a long time. They've grown in the past several times."
The Iowa Economic Development Authority approved $360,000 of incentives for the project through the state's High Quality Job Creation Program. In return, Curly's pledged to create 30 new jobs and retain more than 600 employees.
“Our region continues to offer a number of assets necessary for growth in the meat processing industry,” Councilwoman Rhonda Capron said. “We’re happy to see plans for future investments from companies in the industry such as Curly’s Foods.”
The project also includes work on an 8,000-square-foot portion of the plant that was built several years ago but wasn't used to full capacity.
Curly's Foods recently settled a labor lawsuit filed by five workers who sought pay for the time they spent putting on and taking off protective gear before and after their shifts.
