SEATTLE — St. Matthews, S.C., has been named as the intended site of a new Starbucks Coffee Co. roasting facility. Construction on the approximately 150,000 square foot facility, which is approximately 15 miles from Columbia, is scheduled to begin by the end of this year.
Operations are planned to begin in early 2009.
When operating at full capacity, the plant will create approximately 160 new full-time positions. Starbucks chose the site based on several factors, including workforce availability, transportation access, quality of life and strong support from local and state leaders.
The facility will house equipment and operations to receive, roast, package and ship Starbucks coffee to distribution centers servicing company-operated stores, licensed stores and wholesale accounts around the Southeastern U.S. It will provide additional roasting and packaging capability to augment production from Starbucks' four existing roasting plants in Kent, Wash.; York, Pa..; and Carson Valley, Nev. As well as in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
