October 26, 2015

McKee Foods Corporation, the private company that brings us brands such as Little Debbie, Drake’s, Sunbelt, Heartland and Fieldstone, is investing $102 million on an expansion project. Three quarters of the budget is expected to be used to purchase new manufacturing equipment to boost production, with the remainder of the funds being allocated for office space and conference center.

McKee Foods Corp., one of the largest snack cake companies in the country is headquartered in Collegedale, Tennessee and has annual sales of $1.4 billion. The expansion to its facility in Collegedale is expected to add close to 50 jobs over the next five years. The company is Hamilton County’s largest manufacturer and employs close to 3,000 people. Along with its location in Collegedale, McKee Foods has manufacturing plants in Gentry, Arkansas, and Stuarts Draft, Virginia, as well as a distribution centre in Kingman, Arizona.

Earlier this month McKee Foods made news when it was announced that the company was bringing back Funny Bones, a snack cake that was part of the Drake’s Cake line. Funny Bones were first introduced in 1961 and didn’t make the cut when Drake’s returned to store shelves after McKee acquired the company from Hostess Brands in 2013. After loyal customers asked for their return, the devil’s food cake with peanut butter crème filling and chocolate flavored icing will be back. The reason the popular snack cake didn’t make it store shelves in 2013? Allergen issues were behind the decision.