JemD will open a large greenhouse in Pulaski County, creating 205 jobs in the New River Valley. JemD Farms is adding to their greenhouse farm portfolio with a state of the art farm and distribution center in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The new project was announced in a Press Conference held last Friday by Virginia Governor, Robert McDonnell. The US operation will add to the company’s already 400+ acres of production. The US operation will be located in the town of Dublin, Virginia and will be harvested and marketed under the Red Sun label.
“This game-changing project has been in the works for a long time, and it is gratifying to see it come to fruition today. Red Sun uses extremely high-tech equipment to provide a continuous supply of the best greenhouse grown vegetables, and after much research determined that Pulaski County is the ideal spot for its first U.S. production center. Virginia offers optimal climactic conditions for greenhouse operations, a central location providing convenient access to east coast markets, and a top-notch workforce ready for this new opportunity. As the first tenant of the New River Valley Commerce Park, Red Sun Farms’ significant investment and creation of 205 new jobs is a tremendous win for the Commonwealth and Pulaski County, and represents strategic growth for the New River Valley region.” said Governor McDonnell on Friday.
The official ground breaking will take place in April of this year. The first phase of the project will create 100 + jobs for local families and is forecasted to harvest the first crop in the spring of 2014. Once complete, the three year, 30 million dollar project will create jobs for 205 Americans and boast 50 acres of locally greenhouse grown tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and specialty organic lines of produce.
“We are extremely excited to begin construction on our new greenhouse facility in Dublin, Virginia. Being able to provide quality, safe and now locally grown greenhouse produce to our retail partners and consumers is a great accomplishment for our team. We thank the Governor and the local authorities for their support and assistance to make this project a reality.” say Carlos Visconti, COO of JemD Farms.
The JemD Farms ownership team is pleased with their ongoing growth and progression. In addition to their farms, JemD Farms operates six distribution centers across North America with dedicated regional sales and customer service teams in each location. The Virginia project will further complement JemD Farms’ North American position as one of the largest, most reliable greenhouse growers in the marketplace.
Source: JemD Farms – Golden Sun/Red Sun