Shearer’s foods breaks ground for new tortilla chips plant

Ground breaking for Shearer’s Foods Massillon Production Facility Phase I took place Tuesday, July 14 on site. Ohio’s First LEED Gold Certified Food Manufacturing Plant is being constructed in the NEO Com Industrial Park. The initial phase will house production and temporary staging areas in a 63,936 square foot space located at 4100 Millennium Drive in Massillon.

30-35 jobs will be created with the completion of Phase I. Production includes several varieties of tortilla chips totalling over 17 million pounds per year with room to expand production in the future. The new plant will utilize about 20% less energy per pound than Shearer’s current manufacturing lines.

The building is designed with energy efficient construction, including high levels of wall and roof insulation, energy efficient windows and a reflective white roof. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and the production process equipment are designed to be as efficient as possible. Among strategies employed: recovering heat off of the production equipment to heat the building, pre-heating outside ventilation air, and improving the efficiency of the production equipment. Paved surfaces on the site will be light in color to reduce the heat island effect.

The site will be planted with native plantings, which are low-maintenance and do not require watering after establishment. Water use will be reduced by installing low-flow and waterless plumbing fixtures. Large windows and skylights will be installed to provide ample daylight and views in the working areas to reduce energy use and improve the indoor environment.