JC Ford Co., a manufacturer of high-speed corn tortilla production equipment, has announced plans to invest $30 million to renovate two existing facilities and create 210 new jobs in Maury County, Tenn., over the next five years.

JC Ford’s high-speed corn tortilla production equipment can turn out products in a range from 1,000 to 8,000 dozen per hour. Meanwhile, the company’s tortilla chip production lines range from 250 lbs per hour to a completely automated 4,000-lbs-per-hour system. The company also offers production equipment for flour tortillas, tacos, and tortillas.

“JC Ford has been very impressed with the strong support that we have received from the local and regional communities to expand our operations to Columbia, Tenn.,” said Scott Ruhe, president of JC Ford. “We look forward to working with this high-growth region and attracting the very best talent from the area’s strong manufacturing workforce. We are committed to accelerating our business over the next few years, providing high-quality jobs to the region, and investing in the community.”

Headquartered in La Habra, Calif., JC Ford joins a growing list of West Coast-based companies that have begun setting up operations in Tennessee, said Bob Rolfe, commissioner of the Tennessee Economic and Community Development.

“JC Ford will be geographically well-positioned for distribution and will benefit from our low cost of doing business and strong manufacturing workforce,” Mr. Rolfe said. “We thank JC Ford for choosing Columbia, and we look forward to building a partnership with the company in the years ahead.”  Source: Food Business News.