Cajun Traditions Food Processors owner Lonnie Richard announced the company’s development of a new meat processing and packaging facility in Church Point, Louisiana.
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Meat processing startup Cajun Traditions will make a $2.85 million capital investment to renovate and equip an existing facility in Church Point, where the new project will create 35 new direct jobs, with an average annual salary of $25,505, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 57 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 90 new jobs in Acadia Parish and the surrounding region.
Cajun Traditions Food Processors LLC purchased the former Garan garment manufacturing site from the town of Church Point earlier this year. The 80,000-square-foot facility is located at 188 S. Olivier Road, and was built more than 40 years ago.
Cajun Traditions will install new electrical equipment, complete roof repair and pour a new slab. The company also is buying new machinery, including smokehouse equipment, stuffing machines, vacuum-pack machines, grinders, mixers, and refrigeration equipment.
Lonnie Richard co-owns the company with his brother, Todd Richard, and nephew, Benjamin Richard. With a long family history of Cajun meat production, the family brings proven experience to the new venture. Founded in July 2019, Cajun Traditions will source quality ingredients for Cajun meat products, including sausage, boudin and more sold under the Cajun Family Traditions brand.
The company plans to distribute products within the local market initially, and company leaders have plans to enter the larger market in their third year. Construction and renovation will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2020, with production beginning soon after. The company anticipates that all positions will be filled by 2025.
To facilitate the project, the State of Louisiana provided the company with a competitive incentive package, which includes a $300,000 performance-based incentive from the state’s Economic Development Award Program to offset infrastructure costs. In addition, Cajun Traditions is expected to utilize the state’s Enterprise Zone and Industrial Tax Exemption programs. ■