UPDATE: 295 jobs coming to Lowndes; manufacturer investing $200M

Malia Thomas, Thomasville Times-Enterprise, Ga.
·2 min read

Nov. 4—VALDOSTA — Nearly 300 jobs are coming to Lowndes County as a global baking company builds its second production facility in the community.

According to Andrea Schruijer, executive director of the Valdosta Lowndes County Development Authority, Grupo Bimbo will invest $200 million to build a new manufacturing facility at the Westside Business Park. The company anticipates site work will start in December and estimates completion in 2025.

The plant should bring in 295 jobs, according to a statement from the governor's office.

Grupo Bimbo has 203 plants and more than 1,700 sales centers strategically located in 33 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. Its main product lines include fresh and frozen sliced bread, buns, cookies and other confectionery products.

Grupo Bimbo's subsidiary, Bimbo QSR, started developing its food processing plant in Valdosta in February 2021, with plans of bringing in 74 jobs and investing more than $25 million for a 100,000-square-foot building and plant in the same business park.

"I'm really excited about this project. It's going to be a great project for our community, and I think that once they reveal to us exactly what it is they're making (at the plant), they'll be really excited about it too. There's great jobs; their starting wages are between $19 and $25 an hour...they're going to change the face of Westside Business Park, along with GAF and Bimbo QSR," she said.

Mayor Scott James Matheson and Lowndes County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter expressed anticipation for the value that this second development will bring to the community.

"We are delighted that Grupo Bimbo decided to add a second facility in Valdosta and Lowndes County. This project speaks to the positive collaboration between local and state partners that continues making our community a desirable location for world-class companies like Grupo Bimbo to invest and grow their business," Matheson said.

"Lowndes County is extremely pleased to welcome Grupo Bimbo to our community and into a diverse group of industries. Creating quality jobs for our residents is a top priority for local officials. We are confident that Lowndes County's infrastructure and talented workforce will contribute to the success and future longevity of Grupo Bimbo," Slaughter said.

Learn more at www.grupobimbo.com/en.