Lotus Bakeries Invests $48M in First US Plant

by Laura Calugar

Lotus Bakeries headquarters in Lembeke, Belgium

Mebane, N.C.—Belgium-based Lotus Bakeries plans to invest $48 million in its first U.S. production site. The manufacturing plant will be located in N.C. Industrial Center in Mebane. Lotus Bakeries expects to create 60 jobs in Alamance County by 2020. The project was made possible in part by a performance-based grant of up to $180,000 from the One NC Fund.

The company plans to staff its production site in the U.S. with bakers, packagers, quality assurance specialists and other employees. According to the Triad Business Journal, the average salary for the jobs is expected to be $35,931. Lotus’ facility will add a total annual payroll of $2.1 million. Greensboro-based Samet Corp. will be in charge of the construction of the plant, which should start in the first half of 2017 and become operational in 2019.

“Having a Lotus Biscoff plant in the USA is a major step for our company. For the first time since our foundation in 1932, Biscoff will be produced outside of Lembeke, Belgium. Lotus Bakeries and all its employees are extremely proud with this expansion in the world’s largest consumer market,” said Jan Boone, CEO of Lotus Bakeries, in prepared remarks.

Lotus Bakeries is active worldwide in the snacking segment with the Lotus, Lotus Biscoff, Lotus Dinosaurus, Lotus Suzy, Peijnenburg, Snelle Jelle, Annas, Nakd, Trek, BEAR and Urban Fruit brands. With headquarters in Belgium, the company has approximately 1,350 employees.

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