Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced Feb. 5 that long-standing, family-owned Clemens Food Group, a vertically-integrated pork processor headquartered in Montgomery County, will expand its operations in Hatfield, PA by building a new facility to support increased smoked meats and cooked sausage production.
“Clemens Food Group is a family-owned business that has been a staple in its community for over a century — founded in Hatfield, built on hard work, and committed to offering quality foods from responsible farming practices,” Gov. Wolf said. “My administration is thrilled to support a longstanding Pennsylvania business like Clemens in its continued growth, bringing nearly 90 new food manufacturing industry career opportunities to the community.”
Clemens Food Group received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $215,400 workforce development grant to help the company train workers and a $2.5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant. The company has committed to investing more than $228 million into the project, retaining 2,634 current positions and creating 87 new, full-time jobs over the next three years.
“We are proud to be able to expand our operations in our home state of Pennsylvania,” said Brad Clemens, president of Clemens Food Group. “We wouldn’t have been able to do so without the support of the DCED, our vendor partners and most importantly, our talented team members.”
The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, an experienced group of economic development professionals who report directly to the governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania.
“I am thrilled for this Clemens expansion and the jobs this project brings to the region,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “This is a great example of how agricultural processors impact not only the food on our tables and in our stores, but our workforce in Pennsylvania and how important it is that we grow together to strengthen our resiliency as we continue to cultivate a better and stronger tomorrow in the commonwealth.”
In addition to providing jobs to the community, Clemens has been providing philanthropic support to the charitable food network for many years by donating meat to several Feeding America food banks. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clemens partnered with Feeding Pennsylvania, the PA Pork Producers and the PA Pork Strategic Investment Program to provide more than $100,000 of pork products to food banks around the commonwealth and participated in the USDA Farmers to Families Food Boxes program.
Clemens Food Group was founded in Hatfield, Pennsylvania and is a sixth-generation, family-owned business. With a network of more than 25 farms throughout Indiana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, Clemens Food Group continues to grow in hog farming, food production, and transportation.
“Clemens Food Group is a shining example of how good corporate values make good business sense,” said state Sen. Maria Collett (D-Bucks/Montgomery). “I’m glad that Governor Wolf and his administration see what we in Montgomery County see and have invested in this expansion that will bring more jobs to the region and the commonwealth and more high-quality pork products to tables across the nation and beyond.”
