ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – LifeLine Foods, a dry corn mill and food ingredient manufacturer headquartered in St. Joseph, Missouri, will add a second mill this year to expand its masa flour production.
Masa is a corn flour product commonly used to make tortillas, taco shells, tamales and other Mexican dishes. The project includes $5.5 million in existing building improvements and $6.5 million in new machinery equipment for a total investment of $12 million.
“LifeLine is a great asset to Missouri’s strong agricultural and manufacturing industries,” Governor Mike Parson said. “LifeLine’s continued investment in St. Joseph shows its dedication to our state, and we are proud to have homegrown companies like this one creating jobs for Missourians.”
Originally established in 2001, LifeLine’s 750,000 square-foot manufacturing facility features the latest milling technology with a strong focus on food safety. The second mill will create 13 new jobs over the next year and allow LifeLine to meet a growing demand for corn flour products.
“Our business continues to evolve and grow as consumer demands change,” LifeLine Foods CEO Kevin Kelly said. “Adding nearly 10 percent more jobs and $12 million in capital improvements to our facility will help us meet the demand for our products thanks to incentives like these.”
Assistance through the state’s Missouri Works program as well as other local incentives helped make the project possible. Partners that worked on the project include the Missouri Department of Economic Development, KCP&L and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce.
“We are very pleased to have Lifeline Foods continued investment in St. Joseph,” said R. Patt Lilly, President and CEO of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. “We appreciate the confidence Lifeline has shown in its decision to invest in St. Joseph, which maintains and creates excellent jobs for our residents.”
LifeLine currently employs 130 workers and plans to begin hiring for the new positions later this year.
