The proposed expansion will see Rosina grow its Clinton Street plant by 31 percent, going from 105,000-square-feet to 137,000-square-feet.
The $30 million expansion, which includes constructing the new addition and adding more equipment in the plant, will also see Rosina add 53 workers to its West Seneca facility where it already has 184 workers.
Rosina officials said the expansion is being driven by the increased demand for its meatballs product line. Rosina, last year, produced approximately 42 million pounds of its various meatball products and this year, the company is projecting a more than 62 percent increase with a targeted goal of making as much as 65 million pounds annually just of its meatball product lines.
The expansion is good news and was expected, says West Seneca Supervisor Gary Dickson.
“The Rosina investment is very significant,” Dickson said. “As you know, they built a brand-new factory a few years ago, and they have some other space nearby, and when they built the new factory, they always left room for expansion, so we were expecting that someday.”
Rosina’s meatballs can be found in a large, national and local customer base including Tops Friendly Markets, Wegmans, Publix, Denny’s, Walmart and Olive Garden.
The expansion comes just a few years after Rosina’s acquired the Mama Lucia meatball brand - a move that further added to its national presence.
Nearly 89 percent of the meatballs Rosina’s produces are sold outside of New York State, including some off-shore customers.
All of which bodes well for West Seneca, Dickson says.
“I think when they built their factory, it was pretty clear that they were here to stay. So, it's just another expansion, which is further indication of that,” Dickson said. “It's a very large meatball processor, and they have customers nationwide.”
West Seneca is seeking tax breaks and incentives from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency to help finance the expansion. The ECIDA directors are expected to vote on the tax breaks later this month.
