Greek food manufacturer coming to Bathgate

A Greek yogurt and food company is the latest manufacturer to find a home in the Bronx.

Krinos Foods, a Greek and Mediterranean speciality food importer, distributor, and manufacturer, announced plans on Monday, September 10 to develop a new 100,000 square-foot headquarters in the Bathgate Industrial Business Zone.

Krinos will be expanding their national headquarters at what had been a previously vacant warehouse, creating about 32 construction jobs and adding five additional jobs in addition to 85 employees that will move from Long Island City. The facility at 1734 Bathgate Avenue is set to open in early 2014.

Borough officials hailed the company’s move to the new, larger facility.

“I strongly believe that Krinos Foods will be an asset to our industrial sector and will help strengthen our economy by creating much needed jobs,” said Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Local Councilman Joel Rivera called Krinos a welcome addition to the community, “contributing to our efforts in revitalizing the Bronx, bringing new jobs to the community and revamping an under-utilized lot in the Bathgate industrial section.”

The City Economic Development Corporation president Seth Pinsky called the move and expansion “another vote of confidence in the future of the City’s food manufacturing sub-sector and the larger industrial sector.”

The city has been shedding industrial jobs at about the same rate as the national average, which is about an eight percent decline per year over the past decade, but certain sectors are seeing growth, according to the EDC.

The average wage for industrial jobs is $67,000, with industrial jobs accounting for about 23% of employment outside of Manhattan.

Krinos is just glad to have found a new home, which replaces a facility that was state-of-the-art when it opened in 1981 but has since been outgrown, its president said.

“We are thrilled to make this investment in New York City that will allow us to retain our trained and skilled employees, to continue to grow, and to efficiently serve our local, regional and national customers,” said Krinos foods president Eric Moscahlaidis.

Patrick Rocchio can be reach via e-mail at procchio@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 742-3393