TAYLORSVILLE, Ind. – The Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation (EDC) announced Thursday that Grillo’s Pickles had officially confirmed its plans for constructing a new $54 million food manufacturing operation near Columbus to meet its growing national demand.
The company recently broke ground on a 155,000 square-foot production facility along I-65 in Bartholomew County. It will employ up to 150 people.
The new Taylorsville plant will be adjacent to a previously announced $175 million King’s Hawaiian bakery operation. Both companies are a subsidiary of Irresistible Foods Group.
Grillo’s Pickles President/CEO Adam Kaufman stated, “For our new production site, it was important to us to find a central U.S. location with a skilled workforce and supportive business environment, and we are very excited to be in Bartholomew County.”
Local government leaders expressed strong support for IFG’s two projects. In November 2023, Bartholomew County officials pledged up to $3,746,000 from a combination of County Rainy Day Funds and County Economic Development Income Tax (CEDIT) funds to pay for off-site water, sewer, and road improvement upgrades to serve the project site and the surrounding area.
Last June, County officials unanimously approved the company’s request for an additional 10-year property tax phase-in on the new Grillo’s Pickles building and equipment, to produce savings of approximately $1.2 million.
According to Kristen Goecker, Interim President of Greater Columbus EDC, regional leaders have also approved inclusion of up to $1 million from the State of Indiana’s READI 2.0 funds awarded to the South Central Indiana Talent Region. The funds will support intersection improvements at US31 and Bear Lane, and the extension of County Road 700N in support of the Taylorsville Industrial Park.
