A European rice heavyweight is planting firm roots just east of Cincinnati. Dainty Foods, the North American arm of France’s Marbour Group, is opening its first U.S. production facility in the region after buying a large industrial complex in Batavia Township. The company has committed to an initial $85 million buildout and says it expects total spending to grow to roughly $150 million as operations ramp up. The deal centers on a roughly 250,000-square-foot plant east of the city and marks Marbour’s first major production push into the U.S. market.
As reported by The Business Journals, Dainty Foods, a subsidiary of the France-based Marbour Group, acquired the facility at 4225 Curliss Lane in Batavia Township and will launch an initial $85 million project there. The outlet notes that company leaders expect the investment to grow to about $150 million over time.
About the Batavia Site
Commercial listings show the property totals about 253,566 square feet on roughly 21 acres and includes features such as direct Norfolk Southern rail access and substantial electrical capacity that fit food processing and packaging operations. Those specifications are detailed by CBRE, which has been marketing the building in recent months.
Company Background
Marbour, a Marseille-based rice and grains group, owns Les Aliments Dainty Foods, a long-running Canadian rice mill operator. That corporate relationship is outlined on Marbour, and Dainty’s recent investments in North America, including a retort production upgrade at its Windsor, Ontario mill, were highlighted in a press release via PR Newswire.
Local Implications
The Business Journals reports that the project could scale to roughly $150 million, a level of investment that could attract suppliers and related food industry activity to Cincinnati’s east side if the plan unfolds as expected. The coverage did not include detailed hiring estimates or a specific construction timeline for the Batavia site…