Patties Foods Bairnsdale is to become the world’s largest savoury pie bakery.

 

State Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said today’s announcement of a $20 million expansion of the local factory was fantastic news for the region.

 

“This is big news for East Gippsland in that not only will more savoury products be produced locally, but the company will be employing more staff to service increased demand and this is on the back of staff increases over the past six months,” Mr Bull said.

 

The expansion will be made possible by the acquisition of a Simplot land, building and equipment site in Pakenham, to which Patties’ fruit production line will relocate.

 

“Patties has confirmed employee operations will not be impacted by the Pakenham site acquisition. Instead, it will allow for the creation of more jobs locally,” Mr Bull said.

 

Patties Foods Chief Executive Officer, Paul Hitchcock, said: “As we grow, Patties Foods’ roots are firmly planted in the Bairnsdale community.”

 

“We are proud of hard work of Patties Foods employees, and the new state-of-the-art pie line will greatly allow the Bairnsdale bakery to grow,” Mr Hitchcock said.

 

Patties Foods has also secured a multi-year contract to manufacture Leggo’s pasta products for Simplot Australia. The Simplot contract is to be produced at the Pakenham site.

 

The company started as a small cake shop in Lakes Entrance more than 50 years ago and currently employs around 570 people and produces more than 300 different sweet and savoury products.

 

“At a time where drought was forcing hardship on all in the local economy, the Patties expansion as particularly good news. This company has to be our region’s greatest business success story.”

 

Mr Bull said it was also pleasing to note new businesses opening locally in the past few weeks, including both 40 Winks Bairnsdale and Aroma Coffee House and Eatery at Eastwood, two new enterprises he visited this week.

 

“A lot of people often want to focus on when shops become empty, but the reality is our registered businesses are growing in this area and that growth has been steady for several years. The sector is never without its challenges, but sometimes we tend to focus on the negatives and not the positives and I congratulate these two businesses on opening their doors.”