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May 13, 2021

Frito-Lay to expand Killingly plant, add 120 jobs

Mike Mozart via flickr A Frito-Lay delivery truck.
By Zachary Vasile

Snack foods maker Frito-Lay says it will spend around $235 million to expand operations at its production facility in Killingly, a move expected to create 120 new jobs in town.

Frito-Lay officials said the company plans to enlarge its existing manufacturing facility and warehouse and add two new Cheetos production lines. It will be the first time that Cheetos, the popular cheese puff snack, have been produced in Connecticut.

“We have been a proud member of the Killingly community for more than 40 years and look forward to expanding our footprint and bringing more jobs,” said Laura Maxwell, senior vice president of supply chain at PepsiCo Foods North America, Frito-Lay’s parent company. “It’s only with the support of the teams at the local and state level that this project has been able to come to fruition. They are helping enable growth in this community which ultimately supports Frito-Lay’s goals as well.”

State and local officials, including Gov. Ned Lamont, economic development director David Lehman and Killingly Town Manager Mary Calorio, praised the news as a positive step forward for the state after the disruptions and mass shutdowns of the last year.

“As we emerge from this pandemic, we are seeing Connecticut companies of all sizes increase their workforce and expand operations,” Lamont said. “What is particularly significant is the fact that much of this growth is coming from companies like Frito-Lay that already have a presence here and know first-hand the benefits of doing business — and investing — in Connecticut.”

Frito-Lay said it currently employs about 740 full-time workers at the Killingly site.

Building expansion work is expected to start in the spring of 2022 and wrap up by the second quarter of 2024.

Connecticut Innovations, the state’s quasi-public venture capital agency, is providing up to $5.5 million in sales and use tax exemptions on capital equipment and construction materials.

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