Mid Valley Foods, (formerly E&E Meats) was started in 1979 by Earl Casey. The company wholesales various processed and packaged meat products to grocery stores, restaurants and deli’s. In 2000, Les and Cheri Casey purchased the business from Les’s father. They incorporated, modernized and began to expand sales and distribution at the Riverbank, CA facility.  By 2005, it became apparent to the Casey’s that the business had grown to the limits of the old and antiquated facility and they began to search for land to purchase and build a new facility. In 2008, they began discussions with the City of Riverbank to build a new modern plant that would nearly triple the company’s capacity and increase its employees. 

In January 2009, the Casey’s came to the SBDC very frustrated by a lack of progress in building a new facility. They had invested significant funds to keep the leased facilities operating and had turned down new large customers because they simply could not store enough product at their current facility to meet their demands. SBDC Director Kurtis Clark initially worked with the Casey’s to try and help them reach an agreement with Riverbank for the use of CDBG funding for land infrastructure and access improvements. The City had a 40-acre site they were trying to develop as an industrial/manufacturing park and wanted Mid Valley to purchase and develop 2-3 acres.

By early 2010, plans with the City proved unworkable and the company decided to purchased property in the nearby city of Oakdale. This purchase gave the clients a lot large enough for a new facility with potential to expand even more in the future. The SBDC worked with the clients to help them negotiate a delayed payment plan in City of Oakdale Public Facility fees as well as Stanislaus County Impact fees. This allowed the project to become much more affordable for the clients as it moved forward.

With SBDC assistance the clients created a loan proposal to give to their bank for construction of the new distribution plant. At this time SBDC consultant Kris Heslop worked with the clients for several months helping them refine their business plan and loan proposal. Finally in July funding of $2 million was approved and in September the Casey’s started construction on the project. Total capital investment of this project was $2,800,000 including client’s purchase of property, their contribution to the building construction as well as the $2.0 mm SBA 7(a) bank loan.

During construction, the SBDC continued working with the clients preparing them for moving into their new facility. SBDC H.R. specialist Sandy Reed, S.P.H.R., has helped the clients review all their job classifications, company handbook and policies and procedures. SBDC consultant Earl Morris has met with the Casey’s to discuss improvement in operations and workflow.

The project is expected to be completed March 2011. Once the company moves from the Riverbank location to the new facility in Oakdale they expect to add 6 new positions within the first 3-4 months with additional new jobs as the company grows to fill the increased space in its new facility.   The Casey’s have already discussed a potential second expansion at their new location in 3 years.