NOW Foods Creates 100 Jobs, Completes Facility

SPARKS, Nev.NOW Foods, an international manufacturer and distributor of health food and nutritional supplements, announced an accelerated completion date for the second phase of its new 130,000-square-foot West Coast distribution and manufacturing facility in Sparks, NV. Phase two features installation of equipment and related building improvements required to complete the manufacturing portion of its local operation. Because of the accelerated timeline for the manufacturing operation, NOW Foods announced it will begin hiring for the newly created manufacturing, management and chemist jobs beginning in March 2012.

NOW Foods achieved tremendous global growth in the last year, allowing us to accelerate the completion of phase two of the West Coast distribution and manufacturing facility sooner than expected," said Al Powers, CEO of NOW Health Group. Because of the business-friendly environment Nevada offers, it made sense to move so quickly here. This is a great opportunity to accommodate our high-growth rate and better serve our customers, and work with the northern Nevada community to generate positive economic movement."

The full-time jobs being created with phase two of the project will include manufacturing management, skilled machine operators, chemists as well as some warehouse and general labor, with multiple shift options. Within 18 months, NOW Foods expects to hire 100 employees in northern Nevada for the manufacturing operation, along with additional hires for its distribution operation. NOW Foods, a manufacturer of dietary supplements, sports nutrition, personal care and nutritional foods based in Bloomingdale, IL, currently operates a distribution facility at 990 Packer Way in Sparks, opened in 2003.

The high-quality workforce in northern Nevada will reduce the need to relocate most of our management level employees as we will be able to hire qualified managers and scientists right here," said Jim Emme, president of NOW Foods.

Originally scheduled to be completed in 2014, NOW Foods worked closely with United Construction Company to expedite the development of phase two of the project, moving the completion date to the third quarter of 2012. Phase one of the project that includes the warehouse/distribution facility built by UCC, is scheduled to be completed in March 2012.

Once the manufacturing improvements are complete in the third quarter of 2012, NOW Foods will have the ability to manufacture and ship its products regionally, versus shipping all products from its Midwest U.S. operation, creating a more efficient and sustainable business model. NOW Foods manufacturing facility in Sparks, NV will prevent the need for off-shore manufacturing of products to meet the demands of NOW Foods growing customer base.

With the completion of the manufacturing operation in Sparks NV, NOW Foods will have invested more than $20 million into the operation in northern Nevada, the companys largest single facility investment ever.

NOW Foods will pursue USGBC LEED Silver Certification for the new Sparks facility by meeting or exceeding the local development and green building standards.