Goya Foods, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, opens new state of the art and sustainable corporate headquarters in New Jersey as part of a $500 million global expansion over the past 10 years. The official ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at 350 County Road in Jersey City. In honor of the opening, Goya will donate 25,000 pounds of food to five local food pantries, funds to The Golden Door Charter School in Jersey City to help construct a playground, and institute an annual $20,000 scholarship to The Hudson County Schools of Technology-County Prep High School Culinary Program.
In New Jersey alone, Goya has invested $250 million and additional resources to its facilities in Jersey City, Secaucus and Pedricktown, reinforcing the company’s role as an important and long standing member of the region’s business community. The opening of the new facility ensures the retention of over 500 existing local jobs and offers 100 new positions. In addition, the three-year project added 150 on-site construction jobs.
Goya’s new center features a 600,000-square-foot warehouse for distribution and 42,000-square-foot corporate office space in Jersey City as well as a renovated 240,000-square-foot production facility in Secaucus, totaling nearly 900,000-square-feet on 58 acres of land. “This marks the largest expansion in Goya’s history,” says Bob Unanue, President of Goya Foods. “It is the culmination of almost 80 years of hard work and part of a 10 year strategic plan, designed to reach new consumers and strengthen the Goya brand worldwide.”
Constructed to provide a net zero carbon foot print, the Jersey City facility will be 100% powered by a solar powered energy system using 12,000 panels on 11 acres of rooftop. The system will fulfill the entire facility’s electrical needs without drawing any energy from the public grid. This translates into the ability to generate enough energy to power 30,000 homes on an annual basis. “We are very excited to complete this stage of our strategic plan and to reap the overall benefits that it will provide,” says Peter Unanue, Executive Vice President of Goya Foods. “We recognize the important role businesses play in leading the way for social and environmental change. Each new facility will enable us to operate more efficiently and environmentally friendly as well as support our growth for many more years to come.”
Currently under renovation, and soon to be completed, the state of the art production facility in Secaucus will be equipped with solar panels, rail service and advanced technology, including a continuous motion line for Goya’s popular rice mixes. This will produce 600 packages per minute, six times faster than the current production capability. The installation of rail service will significantly reduce transportation costs, traffic congestion and fuel consumption.
“Goya has been a cornerstone of our state’s business community and a great corporate citizen with a commitment to keep jobs here in New Jersey. As the nation’s largest Hispanic owned food company, they have not only added to our economic growth, but stand as an example of our state’s extraordinary diversity,” says Governor Chris Christie. “New Jersey is proud to be partners with Goya. And with the opening of this new state of the art and sustainable corporate headquarters, I’m proud that our partnership will continue to benefit the people of our state for years to come.”
In total, Goya has 26 facilities throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Spain. In 2014, Goya opened up three new facilities in Texas, California and Georgia. Goya’s cutting edge, high tech facilities will maintain its mission to produce authentic and affordable products with premium quality and superior taste to national and global markets.