The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) announced Mary’s Gone Crackers®, a manufacturer of organic and gluten-free healthy snacks will be opening a manufacturing and R&D facility in Reno, Nevada. The company headquarters will also be relocated to this site with plans to be operational by this fall. Mary’s Gone Crackers intends to hire over 200 employees by the end of 2017. They were awarded business incentives in March 2016.
Mary’s Gone Crackers was founded in 2004 and today is the #1 selling organic and gluten free cracker brand in the United States with exports to Canada, Mexico, UK, EU and Australia. Their products are available nationally at natural, specialty and mainstream grocery and club stores. The company was founded and inspired by a shortage of nutritious, gluten free options that taste good. They have become popular not only with those affected by celiac disease but also with consumers eager for delicious snacks that they can feel good about eating. The company received the Sofi Gold award for the most outstanding cracker at the New York Fancy Food Show.
“Today, nearly 30% of adults in this country are actively trying to reduce or eliminate gluten from their diets. This is not a fad. It’s a $15 billion movement,” said Mary Waldner, founder and chairman of Mary’s Gone Crackers. “We bake organic, gluten free, vegan crackers, cookies and pretzels with whole grains, flours and seeds that are full-flavored, crave-able and deeply satisfying.”
“Northern Nevada’s economic recovery depends on putting our community back to work,” said Reno City Councilmember Paul McKenzie, representative of Ward 4, where the new facility will be located. “Mary’s Gone Crackers is committed to bringing hundreds of jobs to our area, and we’re excited to see them contribute to Reno’s growth.” Craig Fraser, the company’s Vice President of Human Resources, said, “EDAWN has been a great partner as we begin the recruitment process. We have already hired 10 new roles, including key managers to lead this expansion.”
“We are excited that Mary’s Gone Crackers has selected Reno for their new manufacturing operations and the place to be for their dramatic projected growth,” said Mike Kazmierski, CEO of EDAWN. “The fact that they also chose to move their headquarters here is significant and shows that they intend to be here for the long term. I look forward to tasting their healthy snack offerings,” he said.
The new bakery will be more than 420,000 square feet and will be located in the North Valleys Commerce Center. The state-of-the-art facility developed by the Cal Logistics Platform, which is a joint venture of Panattoni Development Company and CalSTRS, and built by Alston Construction, will be a green building that will be a healthy, resource-efficient and cost effective workplace. When completed, the project will be submitted to the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) status. Consistent with current operations, the company will work with the Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to qualify for the onsite Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). VPP promotes effective worksite based safety and health via a comprehensive management system.
Other local partners who assisted Mary’s Gone Crackers with their decision are the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (Brad Mamer, Cory Hunt, Ryan Smith), Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (Brad Linquist, Chris Volney, Yasushi Shiromi), Dickson Commercial Group (Scott Shanks), Kidder Mathews (Michael Hoeck), The Applied Companies (Jim Annis), Nevada Job Connect, Nevada Industry Excellence (Sandy Haslem, Rhea Gustafson), NV Energy (Johnny Hargrove), Truckee Meadows Community College (Deb O’Gorman, Jim New), French Gourmet (Rob Sredl), Kimmie Candy (John Dutra, Sonia Griffin), Now Foods (Nancy Recchio, Mardie Crawshaw), Nutrient Foods (Mark Roark) and Pacific Cheese (Bob Chevalier, Karla Rice).
In 2012, Mary’s Gone Crackers sold a majority stake of the company to Kameda Seika, Co. Ltd., Japan’s largest manufacturer of rice crackers.
About EDAWN
The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada is a private/public partnership established in 1983. They
are committed to adding quality jobs to the region by recruiting new companies, supporting the success of existing companies, and assisting newly forming companies, to diversify the economy and have a positive impact on the quality of life in Greater Reno-Sparks.
About Mary’s Gone Crackers®
Founded in 2004, by Mary Waldner and Dale Rodrigues, Mary’s Gone Crackers manufactures delicious gourmet, organic, gluten free, non-GMO, and vegan foods including crackers, pretzels and cookies. Mary’s Gone Crackers always uses certified organic, Kosher, whole-food ingredients free of gluten, eggs, nuts and dairy. Mary’s Gone Crackers products are available in natural and grocery stores nationwide. For more information, please visit: www.MarysGoneCrackers.com