BR firm to invest over $10M in local facility over next three years

Pod Pack International, a local company that produces individually portioned packets of coffee and tea for use in hotels, offices and restaurants, announced plans this morning to expand its presence in Baton Rouge. The company will invest more than $10 million over the next three years, building a new, larger manufacturing facility and hiring 19 new employees. The 17-year-old company, which moved to Baton Rouge from New Orleans in 2000, has kept a low profile over the years. It has recently seen exponential growth. The market for single-serve coffee has grown over the past few years, and Pod Pack has seen its revenues more than triple. Company President Tom Martin—who joined Mayor Kip Holden and BRAC officials today to make the announcement—will not disclose revenues, but says they are in the tens of millions of dollars annually. LED offered the company—which does 95% of its business out of state—three incentives to stay here and expand. They include a $760,000 performance-based incentive, a quality jobs incentive and an industrial tax exemption. “This expansion is a big win for all of our small businesses in Baton Rouge,” says Holden. “We are helping businesses locate and expand in all parts of our parish.” Martin says Pod Pack has not yet selected a location for its new and expanded manufacturing facility but is eyeing several potential sites. —Stephanie Riegel