Jobs return to Portales with reopening of peanut plant

link Staff photo: Alisa Boswell

Gov. Susana Martinez joined area officials Monday to celebrate the opening of a new peanut plant in the location of the former Sunland Peanut plant.

After two years, Portales is again home to a major peanut processor.

Ready Roast Nut Company officials announced their plans Monday to create up to 200 jobs at a luncheon and ribbon cutting ceremony at the site of the former Sunland Peanut company.

Sunland Peanuts closed its doors in October 2013 after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, causing the loss of more than 100 jobs in the region.

Many of those jobs returned Monday with the re-opening of the plant.

Sunland’s bankruptcy and permanent closure followed a temporary shutdown after a salmonella outbreak caused by the company’s products in fall 2012.

Portales Mayor Sharon King reminisced about the day Sunland’s licensed was stripped while speaking at the grand opening event on Monday morning.

“Whenever FDA (Food and Drug Administration) pulled the permit of Sunland, I happened to be in Washington D.C., and decided I’d just turn on the evening news and see what was going on in the nation’s capitol,” King said. “The lead story was about Sunland Peanuts in Portales, New Mexico. You can imagine how my heart just fell.

“When I got home, I felt like everybody’s hearts in the entire town were that way; it just felt heavy; it felt sad. We’ve had a level of sadness ever since that day happened.”

“Well, that ends today, folks,” King continued. “We couldn’t ask for better partners. They (Ready Roast) have just been excellent. They have experience under their belts. They know what they’re doing, and they’re excited about valencia peanuts, and we’re excited about that too, so I just can’t thank them enough for investing in Portales.

“Today is a great day for Portales and Roosevelt County. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”

The local peanut plant sold to Golden Boy Foods Ltd. for $26 million in March 2014.

Ready Roast owner Thomas Finn said his California-based company had done business with Sunland in the past, so they were aware of the bankruptcy when it happened.

He said his company also works closely with Golden Boy Foods, so he and partners Ann Billek and Tyler Angle were able to purchase the business from Golden Boy, a sale that was finalized about three months ago.

Finn declined to give the selling price.

“We do plan on doing things differently,” Finn told officials gathered at the plant on Monday. “We supply major food manufacturers in the world. We’re the largest supplier to the ice cream industry of dice roasted almonds.”

Finn said his two partners are food industry veterans with Billek being a food scientist that has developed many new peanuts and peanut products with major food manufacturers.

Ready Roast, which was established in 2006, has three facilities in California and employs over 500 people, according to Finn.

Officials said the New Mexico location will begin by employing between 50 to 75 people with up to 200 employees during harvest season.

“We believe in the valencia peanut ... and we hope to do good things here,” Finn said.

Jim Lucero, who worked for Coca-Cola Bottling Company for 20 years and worked for Sunland for a short time after its 2012 product recall, will operate the New Mexico location, according to Finn.

New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela, Gov. Susana Martinez and Sen. Stuart Ingle also spoke at the event Monday, which had a crowd of well over 100 people.

“When you invest in businesses like this, you are investing in 200 families, because you are giving 200 families jobs. That’s what we want,” Martinez told those gathered. “Nearly five years ago, things were a little bleak here in New Mexico. Our pipeline for jobs was completely empty, and we were ranked 51st in the nation for business friendliness. But through our continued efforts, we’ve seen improvement.”

Martinez said that ranking has gone from last to 24th for New Mexico over the last several years.

“When you go down to another state and you see the products of this company being sold there, that’s what makes you proud, because you know the product is a good one and it’s headed all over the country and the world,” she said.

“I’m proud to have Ready Roast as a partner in our diversification efforts. We want to do all we can to make sure they are successful. That is why we have worked so hard to make our business climate friendlier for businesses like Ready Roast.”