JR Short sold its corn milling and specialty corn products business divisions to Bunge in November 2008 in order to bring in investment capital and allow it to focus completely on – and expand – its pellet business. The company has undertaken a series of expansions, growing production capacity by 50 percent in 2008. And in 2009, it opened a pilot facility for the development of new extruded pellet snack products.
JR Short’s snack pellets are made from grains and potato, as well as whole- and multi-grain products, with added protein and fiber. The pellets are then air popped or pressure puffed resulting in low-fat, low-calorie snack products.
In 2010, the expansion will add new warehousing, a new extrusion line and upgraded packaging facilities, bringing its production capacity to 50,000 square feet.
Director of sales and marketing at JR Short Terry Gieseke told FoodNavigator-USA.com that the company’s series of expansions have been entirely driven by increased consumer demand for pellet snack products.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to participate in a growing category,” Gieseke said.
She said that the concept of popping or puffing extruded snack products is “relatively new in the US” but added that heightened awareness of nutrition has given a significant boost to the low-fat whole grain snack category.
Commenting on the expansion, JR Short’s president and CEO Jon Luikart said: “This multi-million dollar expansion will help us meet our customers’ needs more efficiently. It is concrete evidence of our commitment to helping our customers realize growth with current pellet snack products as well as accelerating their product development efforts.”
The company cited improved labor efficiencies and packaging throughput, and trailers that can be double-stacked for more efficient shipping, as other benefits resulting from the latest expansion.