FORT SMITH, Ark. — The baby food brand Gerber is getting some breaks from the City of Fort Smith to expand its facilities and operations.
Fort Smith is home to one of the larger Gerber factories in the U.S., and now with the approved expansion in the works, it will provide even more jobs to River Valley residents.
“The chamber of commerce, the Governor’s office, Arkansas economic development corporation, the City of Fort Smith worked together to successfully land the expansion,” said Carl Geffken, Fort Smith City Administrator.
Geffken says the Gerber expansion was discussed at the Chamber of Commerce meeting a few days ago, giving the company tax incentives to do an add-on.
“The company instead of paying 100% of their taxes owed will pay a portion of their taxes owed to the city, the school district, and the county,” said Geffken.
The project will involve adding new equipment and installing new machinery to upgrade and expand Gerber's food products operation. But along with providing a better product, it will also add new opportunities by creating at least 25 new jobs with this expansion.
The expansion will begin as soon as Gerber gets all of the funding in place. The expansion should be completed within the next five years.