A mother/daughter-owned company is opening its second pretzel production plant, a $137 million investment over 10 years in a 434,000-sq.-ft. pretzel bakery facility in Louisville, Ky.
Carson City, Nev.-based Stellar Snacks announced last week its plans to expand production. The new plant will not only meet increasing demand for the company’s pretzel braids but will enable growth in the mid-South and East.
Elisabeth (mother) and Gina (daughter) Galvin founded Stellar Snacks in 2019 on a “pretzels with a purpose” platform, producing non-GMO, vegan pretzels with sustainably sourced wholesome ingredients and a variety of gourmet flavors. At the same time, pretzels are the fastest growing segment of the salty snack industry for the first time in recent history. Sales of Stellar Pretzel Braids are up 162% in the past 52 weeks, the company claims, making it one of the fastest growing natural pretzel brands in the country.
Stellar Snacks’ new facility will create 350 full-time jobs over the next 10 years. Work is scheduled to begin in spring 2024 with baking of the initial products at the location set to begin in fall 2024. It will be Stellar Snacks’ largest pretzel bakery; the company operates a manufacturing plant and a warehouse in northern Nevada, where it employs more than 170.