WICHITA, KAN. — JTM Foods LLC, a manufacturer of handheld snack pies, on Aug. 24 broke ground on a new manufacturing plant in Wichita. Along with its financial partner Tenex Capital Management, JTM is investing approximately $40 million in the expansion in Kansas.

The new 195,000-square-foot plant is expected to double JTM’s current manufacturing and distribution footprint, which is located in Erie, Pa. The expansion is JTM’s first outside of Pennsylvania and will allow the company to more easily serve its handheld snack pie retail partners in its Southern, Southwest and West Coast markets. The expansion also paves the way for more product innovation, the company noted.

The Wichita plant is expected to come online in the fall of 2023 and will bring approximately 150 jobs to the region over the next two years.

“After exploring several options across multiple states and locales, the strong public/private partnerships here, linking government, business, academic and community interests together convinced us that Wichita was the ‘Best Choice’ for JTM’s future expansion,” said Monty Pooley, president and chief executive officer of JTM.

“JTM Foods’ expansion into Wichita is sweet news for Kansans and for treat lovers everywhere,” said Governor Laura Kelly of Kansas. “Kansas dominates the landscape in food processing, and JTM’s investment highlights the tremendous competitive advantages businesses experience here in Kansas.”