The recently opened Kerry Center in Beloit, Wis.

In mid-June, Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle, together with Kerry Group executives, officially opened the company’s new 250,000-sq.-ft. innovation and technical center in Beloit, Wis.

The $50-million facility will employ nearly 550 employees, including more than 200 food scientists, and house 21 research and development labs, three application suites, two consumer sensory facilities, a state-of-the-art culinary theater and a technical center dedicated to product development and applications.

“Our new customer-focused center of excellence builds on the Group’s ‘go-to-market’ strategy — leveraging Kerry’s unrivalled range of technology-based ingredients, flavors and integrated solutions in food and beverage growth markets,” says Stan McCarthy, Kerry Group chief executive.

“Our new Wisconsin-based Kerry Center will be a key differentiator in meeting the product development needs of all major food and beverage processors and foodservice providers in American markets,” he adds.