Snack food manufacturer Saratoga Potato Chips LLC plans expansion in Fort Wayne

Snack Food manufacturer Saratoga Potato Chips LLC is planning a 2.5 million expansion of its production facilities in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Canadian company established its US headquarters in Fort Wayne in 2010, as the company announced it would occupy a vacant 138,000-square-foot facility at 6923 Lincoln Parkway in a $4.9 million investment.

At the time, its annual sales were about $27 million. Saratoga's sales have been growing steadily since then, reaching about $85.74 million in 2016 after $71.62 million in 2015 and $55 million in 2014. The company's products include kettle-cooked potato chips, flavored potato chips and a line of bagged organic popcorn snacks. Products are sold in Save-A-Lot, Walmart and Kroger supermarkets.

Currently employing 228 people, Saratoga Potato Chips plans to spend $2 million on a building addition and $500,000 on new manufacturing equipment, creating an expected 25 processing jobs paying between $30,000 and $40,000 annually, according to an application for incentives filed with the Allen County Department of Planning Services.

The building addition would expand the company's current 138,000 square feet by 43,000 square feet. Construction is to begin July 1 and continue through July 1, 2021, the company says. The design-build contract has reportedly be awarded to Felderman Design-Build.

County Council is expected to consider the request Thursday. If council approves the requested tax abatement, Saratoga would save $100,254 in real estate taxes and $10,761 in equipment taxes over 10 years while paying $233,926 in taxes on the building improvements and another $18,480 on the equipment.