The company moved production of Velveeta to a plant in Illinois in 2012. The loss led to major job cuts at the New Ulm plant, which at the time employed about 550 workers.

Kraft Heinz, co-headquartered in Pittsburgh and Chicago, plans to expand an existing plant in New Ulm and add four new production lines by the end of 2017. This investment is expected to add another 50 jobs at the plant, which now employs nearly 400.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is supporting the project with a $450,000 forgivable loan from the Minnesota Investment Fund. The loan will be forgiven if the company meets hiring and investment goals.

“The Kraft Heinz food manufacturing plant has been an institution in New Ulm for more than 60 years,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “We’re pleased that the company is making a major jobs and facilities investment that will improve their operation for years to come in the city.”

The Kraft Heinz company formed when Kraft Foods and HJ Heinz merged last year, creating the fifth-largest food and beverage company in the world. The company has annual sales of $27.4bn and owns such iconic brands as Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Velveeta, Ore-Ida, Oscar Mayer and Heinz Ketchup.

10,000t capacity investment for Jarlsberg cheese in Cork, Ireland

Kraft Heinz to invest $100m in US cheese plant

Food giant Kraft Heinz will invest more than $100m in its cheese palnt in New Ulm, Minnesota. With the expansion, the plant will again be producing Velveeta, Kraft’s famous processed cheese.