Oberto Brands, a national leader in the meat snacks category and maker of the popular Oh Boy, Oberto! jerky line, today announced the company will open a new production facility in Nashville, Tennessee in the first half of 2013, bringing hundreds of jobs to the area. The new facility will join Oberto’s existing production facility at its headquarters in Kent, Washington, and is being added to help keep up with rapidly growing demand for Oberto’s products, which has doubled over the last few years and shows no sign of slowing down.
“After seeing tremendous growth over the past few years, we now need to significantly increase our production capabilities,” said Tom Ennis, CEO of Oberto Brands, which operates three core brands including Oh Boy, Oberto!, Lowrey’s Meat Snacks and Pacific Gold Beef Jerky. “We chose Nashville as the location for Oberto’s new production facility because of its great business climate and incredible workforce; we look forward to partnering with this dynamic, growing city to help us diversify our supply chain and get closer to the fastest growing region of our business.”
This new facility will help continue to ensure that, unlike many of the large meat snack producers, all of Oberto’s U.S. products are made in the U.S. to guarantee only the highest quality and production standards, as well as to support the U.S. manufacturing industry. Oberto is continuing its commitment to Made in the USA started in 2010 when the company brought its manufacturing capabilities back to the U.S., from Brazil, creating nearly 300 jobs.
Oberto’s dedication to quality and excellence is exemplified by the 2011 revamp of the company’s popular Oh Boy! Oberto jerky line, which re-launched with an all-natural jerky recipe featuring only simple, natural ingredients with no preservatives or artificial flavors. Under the new all-natural recipe, sales for Oh Boy! Oberto jerky have increased significantly.
"I would like to welcome Oberto Brands to Tennessee and thank them for the jobs they will create in the Nashville area," Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam said. "It speaks volumes of Tennessee's business friendly environment and qualified workforce when a new company and nationally known brand chooses to locate in our state. We are working hard to become the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs, and Oberto Brands' announcement today brings us another step closer to reaching our goal."
The facility, which is owned by Corporate Property Associates 16 – Global, an affiliate of W. P. Carey Inc., is being leased by Oberto and will open in the second quarter of 2013. Over the next few years, the new production facility will bring approximately 310 new jobs to the area ranging from plant director to line workers. Oberto will release job fair and hiring details as the facility nears opening, and more information will be available on www.obertobrands.com starting in early 2013.
“Oberto’s decision to locate a plant in Nashville speaks to the vitality of our city and the talent of our workforce,” Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said. “I’m especially pleased that Oberto will be bringing an existing facility back to life. Filling vacant buildings in and around our urban core is important to the strength and future of our city.”
“Oberto Brands’ decision to open a manufacturing facility in Nashville is the result of a successful partnership between the state, local officials and the company,” Bill Hagerty, commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, said. “We look forward to having Oberto Brands as part of the Tennessee business community for many years to come.”
Oberto’s dedication to quality and innovation will continue the renaissance of this company born as a small family-owned sausage company that has become, over the years, one of the leading meat snack manufacturers nationally, without losing its family roots.
About Oberto Brands
Privately held Oberto Brands, a leader in the meat snacks category, was established in Seattle in 1918 by an Italian immigrant family in pursuit of the American Dream. The Oberto family still remains an integral part of the business, and their hard work and dedication to great tasting products has grown the company from humble beginning into what is today a national leader in meat snacks manufacturing. Oberto Brands owns three core brands: Oh Boy, Oberto!, Lowrey’s Meat Snacks and Pacific Gold Beef Jerky. Its popular products are found primarily in convenience stores, as well as on grocery aisles and club stores throughout the United States. See www.obertobrands.com and Economic and Community Development.