Bridor taking its new plant and its 400 jobs from Brigham City to SLC

Brice Wallace
Business Journal

Bridor, a global food manufacturer, announced last year it would build a production plant in Brigham City. Now the $277 million project will happen in Salt Lake City.

The bread and pastry maker still will create about 400 jobs, with the growth happening over 13 years. Originally set to be at the Utah Inland Port Authority’s Golden Spike Project Area in Brigham City, the project will be at a new facility at the Scannell Logistics Campus at 2691 N. 2200 W., Salt Lake City.

Since 1984, Bridor has manufactured European bakery products adapted to the North American market. Bridor North America has four plants: two in Québec, Canada, and two in the eastern U.S. It employs approximately 1,200 people and is part of the global Groupe Le Duff, which has over 30,000 employees across 100 countries and 10 production facilities.

As was the case with the proposed Brigham City plant, the Salt Lake City project is part of a westward expansion that is “a strategy long in the making,” the company said.

“Utah’s connectivity to major transportation routes, top-notch labor market, and proximity to diverse and rich agricultural products quickly elevated Utah to the top of our five-state regional review,” Bridor said. “The strong local support of our project from early on helped Bridor visualize the roadmap for establishing operations here.”

“We are thrilled that Bridor has chosen Salt Lake City for its newest facility,” said Lorena Riffo-Jenson, director of Salt Lake City’s Department of Economic Development. “This investment underscores our city’s reputation as a place with a growing job market and a great place for internationally minded businesses to establish roots. We look forward to the addition of 400 jobs to our growing food manufacturing cluster in Salt Lake City.”

The Salt Lake City project was announced by the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, an organization that worked with the company and a site selector to issue a request for information, connecting the company with sites and communities. In addition to Salt Lake City, the project received support from EDCUtah partners JLL and Enbridge. Jared Stewart, senior business development manager, led the project for EDCUtah.

“We are pleased to welcome Bridor to Utah, where an increasing number of food manufacturers are choosing to grow and thrive,” said Scott Cuthbertson, EDCUtah’s president and CEO. “Bridor will play an important role in bolstering Utah’s food security, and their decision to expand in Utah was made possible by the collaboration of many important partners.”

In May of last year, Bridor announced it would make artisan breads and Viennese pastries tailored for the American market and adapted to Western customer preferences, with the Brigham City facility figuring to lead to over 150 new jobs in 2026 and 300 in the long term. In June, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity board approved a state tax credit incentive for Bridor USA Inc. of up to about $5 million over 13 years, tied to the creation of 87 high-paying jobs. The board approved the tax credit under the state’s Rural Economic Development Tax Increment Financing (REDTIF) program.

GOEO says the Brigham City project incentive was contingent on being in a rural location. The move to Salt Lake City makes the company ineligible for that incentive.

“Utah’s food manufacturing industry is thriving, creating new opportunities for businesses and helping consumers have more options closer to home,” said Jim Grover, GOEO’s managing director of economic growth. “While Brider no longer qualifies for a state incentive, its continued growth and investment in Utah are a significant win for our state’s economy.”