Last updated on August 24th, 2017 at 02:29 pm
This week the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) kicked off its national tour, “Grocery Manufacturers Power America: How the Nation’s Largest Manufacturing Sector Drives Communities, Jobs, and Economic Growth,” at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania’s Freshpet Kitchens.
GMA said Freshpet is one of the fastest-growing providers of manufacturing jobs in the state’s Lehigh Valley.
Congressman Charlie Dent (PA-15) and other local officials were given a firsthand look at the work being done by Pennsylvania grocery manufacturing employees during a tour of the Freshpet plant.
The tour was followed by a roundtable discussion featuring Congressman Dent, GMA CEO Pamela Bailey, Freshpet CEO Billy Cyr, Furmano’s Foods CEO Chad Geise, Bimbo Bakeries USA’s VP of HR Jonathan Berger, local officials, Lehigh Valley suppliers and other stakeholders from across the Pennsylvania agriculture supply chain.
GMA will continue to hold similar events at member companies across the nation to highlight the role grocery manufacturing plays in driving the U.S. economy and supporting good-paying jobs for American workers.
“The grocery manufacturing sector is our nation’s single largest source of manufacturing jobs, employing 2.1 million Americans in 30,000 communities across the country,” said Bailey. “In Pennsylvania alone, grocery manufacturing companies like Freshpet, Furmano’s Foods and Bimbo Bakeries provide over 65,000 local workers with jobs.”
“Our first Groceries Manufacturers Power America tour stop at Freshpet—a shining example of a success story right here in America’s heartland—truly illustrates the importance of the grocery manufacturing industry to our nation’s economy,” Bailey added.
“We are delighted to host the first stop on the Grocery Manufacturers Power America and Pennsylvania Tour at the Freshpet Kitchens here in Bethlehem,” said Cyr. “Freshpet is proud to be a top employer in the Lehigh Valley, and we’re looking forward to continuing to create high quality jobs as we execute on our growth strategy.”
