Governor Rell Announces HP Hood Expansion in State
Bringing Economic Growth and Jobs to Suffield Area

December 1, 2004

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today that HP Hood LLC, New England’s leading dairy processor, is consolidating much of its Eastern ice cream and frozen dessert processing and expanding its operations in Suffield. The expansion will result in an employment base of 225 full-time and 15 seasonal jobs in Connecticut in 2005.

“I’m thrilled that Hood, a distinguished company with a long history in our state, has made the business decision to expand their operations in Connecticut. This expansion will have a positive impact on the economy of our state and the Suffield area and is a tremendous boost for us,” said Governor Rell.

The state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) worked very closely with the town and company officials to ensure that Connecticut jobs were protected and that the relocation project to Suffield moved forward. The DECD is providing a $2 million loan for new machinery and equipment and renovations to the existing facility. The town of Suffield has agreed to expand its wastewater management system to accommodate the company’s growth.

“As I have stated many times before, job creation is a top priority for me and my administration,” said Governor Rell. “To that end, I have directed our economic development agencies to aggressively pursue business opportunities like this one when they arise. Creating a vibrant business environment in which companies can thrive and grow is key to our state’s long-term economic prosperity and will generate many more success stories like this one in the years ahead.”

HP Hood LLC has been a major employer in the town of Suffield for the past 35 years. The company currently employs approximately 140 employees at its 180,000 square- foot facility. By consolidating its Lancaster, Penn. operations in Suffield, Hood is adding new jobs to the site.

“We are grateful for the support of state Department of Economic and Community Development and are pleased to be able to expand our production capabilities in Suffield,” said John A. Kaneb, Chairman, President and CEO of HP Hood LLC. “I am grateful to the Governor, her staff and the town of Suffield for continuing their efforts to make Suffield a viable place to conduct business.”

Suffield's First Selectman Elaine Sarsynski added, "Hood has been an important member of Suffield's business community for more than 40 years. We take great pride in their presence and look forward to continuing our long term cooperative relationship."

She continued, "The State of Connecticut and Suffield worked diligently to ensure that Hood would remain a major employer in the state. Hood has made recent multi-million dollar upgrades to its manufacturing facility on Rt. 159 and we hope that the renewed commitment to Connecticut by Hood results in additional local investments."

Founded in 1846, today HP Hood LLC is one of the largest branded dairy operators in the United States. In its traditional home territory of New England, its Hood lines of milk, cream, ice cream, cottage cheese and sour cream regularly rank number one in the six-state area. Hood also has national and super-regional processing and distribution operations in extended shelf-life products for well-known national brands. For more information about HP Hood LLC, please visit www.hphood.com.

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