Hormel Foods adding 210 jobs, nearly doubling size of its Iowa plant

Hormel Foods Corp. plans to expand its Nevada, Iowa, plant and hire an additional 210 employees. 

Burke Marketing Corp., a subsidiary of Hormel, will add 200,000 square feet to its 225,000 square foot facility, according to Iowa Economic Development Authority documents. 

The food giant, based in Austin, Minnesota, received $10.5 million in state economic development incentives Friday. That included $7.5 million in investment tax credits, $3 million in tax refunds and $12,000 in research activities tax credits. 

While Hormel has pledged to create 210 new positions, only 52 received incentives. Those 52 jobs must pay a minimum of $24.95 per hour.

The city of Nevada is expected to provide a 10-year, 100 percent tax abatement. The value of that award has yet to be determined. But Hormel projects it will spend $100 million on construction and another $50 million on machinery and equipment. 

Burke Marketing Corp. manufactures meat crumbles, meatballs, pepperoni and diced meats. The Nevada factory currently employs 339 people, according to state documents.