Aug. 28, 2003:
New Onion Processing Plant Announced in Oswego
OSWEGO, NY—No
matter how you slice, dice or peel it, the onion business in Oswego
County will soon get a little sweeter.
Empire Produce Processors (EPP),
a new onion product supplier, will produce and market a line of
fresh processed sweet and pungent onion products at its new 27,000
square-foot plant located on state Route 104 in the town of Oswego.
Owners Jim and Sam Zappala expect to produce a full line of whole
peeled, sliced and diced onion products for the food service industry.
By the end of their first year in business, EPP will also enhance
their retail business with the development of consumer-sized packages
of processed onion products.
The company will utilize state-of-the-art
production equipment to peel 2” to 5 ½” onions.
The machines require minimal hand labor aside from the manual orientation
of the bulbs to ensure accurate removal of onion tops and bottoms.
“Because we will have
technology that will allow us to process a wide variety of onion
sizes, we will be able to draw a significant portion of our supply
from local growers who often produce slightly smaller onions than
onions produced in competing areas in the country, therefore supporting
our local economy,” said Jim Zappala. “Having our own
supplies puts us in a strong competitive position compared to other
processors.”
Prepared onion consumption in
the United States averages 10 to 19 pounds per person, per year,
with the largest market for processed onion products in the northeastern
and mid-Atlantic states, according to EPP.
“We see the growing trends
in the consumption of fresh cut produce as an indicator of potential
for growth in the fresh processed onion industry,” said Zappala.
“The increased consumption of meals away from home, coupled
with the increasing popularity of minimally processed fruits and
vegetables at home, will increase onion consumption as a fresh processed
product in the next decade.”
Owners Jim and Sam Zappala are
no strangers to the onion business. Zappala Farms is the largest
producer of onions in New York State specializing in the sweet variety
with an annual onion production volume of 250,000 40-pound boxes
of sweet onions that are marketed under the “Empire Sweet”
brand. “Empire Sweet” onions are available from August
through December, “at a time when the supply of sweet onions
from other production areas is very small at best,” according
to Sam Zappala.
Sam Zappala is also general
manager of Oswego Growers and Shippers, a company that buys and
sells onions from local, state and national growers and suppliers
with an annual volume of 750,000 50-pound units and gross sales
of more than $6 million per year.
“Processing is the final
link in the cycle of onion production in Oswego County,” said
Jim Zappala. “EPP will be able to supply its customer with
fresh processed onion products on virtually a year-round basis without
having to draw raw product from other areas.”
The $2.9 million project will
receive financial assistance from the County of Oswego Industrial
Development Agency and from a Small Business Administration (SBA)
504 loan through Operation Oswego County (OOC), Oswego County’s
designated economic development agency. Other partners who will
help finance the new manufacturer include Empire State Development
Corporation, Central New York Enterprise Development Corporation,
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation and an Economic Development Initiative
Fund (EDIF) grant from the Oswego County Legislature.
“In the midst of a struggling
economy, we are fortunate to have the investment of an agricultural
manufacturer like Empire Produce Processors in Oswego County,”
said L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD, executive director of OOC. “The
agricultural industry has long been an essential component of Oswego
County’s economy.”
EPP will be open for business
early to mid January, 2004. The project is expected to create more
than 30 jobs.
“Being an onion farmer
myself, I am proud to see our homegrown Oswego County onions evolve
into a marketable, diverse product with worldwide appeal,”
said Oswego County Legislature Chairman Morris Sorbello. “A
new business like Empire Produce Processors is a shot in the arm
at a time when long-time manufacturers such as Nestle and International
Paper have closed in Oswego County.”
For more information about Empire
Produce Processors, call EPP General Manager Jeff Wallace at (315)
593-9803.
Back to 2003 Press Releases
|
