ST. CHARLES — An Italian pasta maker linked to the ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ World's Fair is poised to open its first-ever location in the U.S. in St. Charles.Â
The company, Bertagni, wants to open in a former pizza crust manufacturing facility at 3850 Millstone Parkway. The plant was shuttered when General Mills closed the plant this year as part of a wave of closures elsewhere in Missouri.
Bertagni is heralded as the oldest filled-pasta manufacturer in Italy and makes a wide variety of tortellini and ravioli. One of those pasta recipes received a gold medal at the 1904 World's Fair in ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ´´.
The expansion was announced Tuesday night at St. Charles City Council's meeting. It was immediately lauded by city officials as a "massive win" for the city.Â
People are also reading…
"This is a testament to our workforce and our city's workers," said City Councilman Brian Gould. He represents the city's Seventh Ward, where the new plant will be located.Â
"To have someone come across an ocean, and pick us as the first people in the U.S. that they have chosen to make their product is a good day for St. Charles," Gould said.Â
St. Charles edged out two other cities who were finalists as possible locations for the expansion, officials said.Â
St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer said the city fast-tracked its approval of $35 million tax abatements to secure the expansion. The tax abatements were approved Tuesday.Â
"I think we were very aggressive about our approach, and we made it easy for them to do business in St. Charles," Borgmeyer told the Post-Dispatch. Â
Bertagni officials have also said they plan to complete tens of millions in upgrades to the existing plant to prepare it for going operational sometime in 2027.Â
The company plans to initially hire 70 employees, but city officials said the plant will likely employ 200 people once fully operational, more than replacing the 163 jobs lost when the General Mills plant closed. Â
The new jobs will pay salaries of more than $60,000 per year, said St. Charles County Economic Development Council President and CEO Scott Drachnik.Â
"This is going to be a great manufacturer that is going to provide livable wage jobs," Gould said, the council member. "This represents great growth in in the community."
