Sara Lee Food & Beverage, the leading North American retail food division of Sara Lee Corporation, will construct a new 214,000 square foot distribution facility in Macon that will employ up to 140 people. The project will bring $24 million in new investment to Georgia.

“We are pleased to announce the development of a new distribution center in Macon that will allow us to better serve our clients located in the Southeast,” said Larry Rogers, Vice President of Integrated Logistics, Sara Lee Food & Beverage. “We appreciate the assistance we have received from the State and from the Macon Economic Development Commission, which has demonstrated the many benefits that make Macon the ideal new home for Sara Lee.”

Sara Lee’s new facility, which will be located on 33 acres at I-75 Business Park in Macon, will store and distribute both refrigerated and frozen meat and bakery products to retail and foodservice customers in the Southeastern market. The company will hire 75 – 100 people initially, and up to 140 within its first year of operation.

Sara Lee has contracted Tippmann Group to design and build the facility, scheduled to open in August 2006. This will be Sara Lee’s first dedicated distribution center in Georgia.

Sara Lee Food & Beverage is the leading North American retail food division of Sara Lee Corporation. Based in Downers Grove, Ill., Sara Lee Food & Beverage develops and sells many of the world's favorite high-quality baked goods, meats and coffee.