Lactalis Foodservice, the foodservice source for a full line of natural, specialty, country-of-origin cheeses and dairy specialties, is announcing an expansion of the company's Nampa, Idaho, factory.

The facility, which was approved by the Canyon County Planning and Zoning Commission in mid-March, will add about 250 jobs during the 14-month construction of the new facility and about 50 new, full-time jobs with benefits at the plant upon completion. The expansion will provide much-needed space to expand the company's production capabilities.

Lactalis Foodservice spends $250 million for products in the local economy annually. In 2009, the Nampa plant expects to purchase more than 1 billion pounds of milk that will be processed into various types of cheeses, predominantly mozzarella and provolone. About 65 percent of the milk purchased for the Nampa plant is produced by local farmers within 45 miles of the plant.

"This is a very exciting day for this community and our company," said Jean Claude Bruneau, vice president of manufacturing, as he and a host of elected officials ceremoniously broke ground at the construction site adjacent to the company's operations at Franklin and Star roads.

About Lactalis Foodservice
Lactalis Foodservice is a U.S. company in the North American division of Groupe Lactalis, one of the world's largest dairy corporations. The Nampa plant is the largest of its 140 plants around the world and employs more than 500 people.