Kemper Foods International, LLC, New Albany, Ind., said it expects by 2012 to more than double the size of its 24,000-square-foot frozen prepared foods plant there and create as many as 350 additional jobs. 

A supplier to foodservice and retail co-pack customers, Kemper said it invest more than $6.8 million toward equipment and building improvements.

Founded in 2008 by New Albany entrepreneur, Michael V. Kemper, who partnered with veteran food production tycoon, Jeno F. Paulucci, the privately held company will soon begin hiring additional production associates, supervisors and clerical staff to meet the needs of the growing operations.

"We are extremely excited by this business venture in New Albany," said Kemper, who serves as the company's chairman and chief executive officer. "Indiana provides us with an ideal environment to grow this business because of its workforce availability, excellent market access to serve our customers, and overall pro-business climate. We appreciate the support from the city of New Albany and the state of Indiana and the guidance of One Southern Indiana. Everyone has really made us feel welcomed and wanted in New Albany."

"Being in the food processing business globally for over a half of a century, I'm happy to say that I have never been more excited in the potential of global growth of Kemper Foods International because of the genius of innovation and the uniqueness of its products and the worldwide large corporate customers that it can serve on a custom packing basis," said Paulucci.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Kemper Foods International, LLC up to $1.1 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $145,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. The city of New Albany will consider additional property tax abatement and incentives at the request of One Southern Indiana, the regional economic development group for Clark and Floyd counties.