MILFORD, Mass. — Gummy and nutritional supplement manufacturer Sky Nutro plans to establish a new headquarters in Milford after Massachusetts secured the project with state incentives that helped keep the company from relocating to Connecticut, according to reporting by the Boston Business Journal.
The Southbridge-based company has been awarded a $1.8 million tax credit through the state’s Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) to support its planned move to a 93,000-square-foot facility at 5-7 Industrial Road in Milford, the Boston Business Journal reported.
According to the publication, the Milford site prevailed over a competing location in Connecticut as Sky Nutro evaluated options for its future headquarters and manufacturing operations.
The project would involve relocating the company’s existing workforce of 20 employees from Southbridge while creating an additional 120 jobs. Meeting minutes cited by the Boston Business Journal indicate the new positions are expected to pay between $75,000 and $90,000 annually.
The company also plans to invest approximately $12 million in renovations to the vacant Milford facility and in the installation of manufacturing equipment, according to the Boston Business Journal. The expansion would significantly increase Sky Nutro’s footprint from its current 22,000-square-foot facility in Southbridge.
The Boston Business Journal reported that Sky Nutro’s customers include major consumer brands and retailers such as Bazooka Brands, General Mills, Target, Walmart, and Russell Stover Candies.
According to emails submitted to the Milford Select Board and reviewed by the Boston Business Journal, company officials explored locations both within and outside Massachusetts before selecting Milford for the expansion.
The publication reported that both the company’s executive offices and manufacturing operations are expected to move to the new facility. If the project proceeds as planned, Sky Nutro anticipates occupying the building sometime between September and November, according to Select Board meeting minutes cited by the Boston Business Journal.
Founded in 2021, Sky Nutro specializes in reduced-sugar formulations and healthier food products for the food manufacturing industry, according to information provided by the company and reported by the Boston Business Journal. In addition to gummy and supplement manufacturing, the company produces tinctures, lotions, and balms and provides third-party logistics services.
The expansion comes at a time when New England’s confectionery manufacturing sector has experienced significant changes. As the Boston Business Journal noted, the region’s candy and snack manufacturing industry has declined from its historical prominence, including the closure of the New England Confectionary Co.’s Revere facility in 2018 and the recent announcement that Cape Cod Potato Chips plans to close its Hyannis factory.
State officials approved the tax incentives as part of the Economic Development Incentive Program process, which is designed to encourage business growth and job creation within Massachusetts, according to the Boston Business Journal.
The planned Milford headquarters would represent a major growth milestone for the five-year-old company while preserving and expanding manufacturing operations within the Commonwealth.
