Pasta maker will open Bartlett factory

A leading European pasta producer is set to open its first U.S. facility in Bartlett next spring with the help of tax increment financing and financial incentives from the state.

Rana Meal Solutions, the largest producer of fresh pasta in Europe, has established its American roots by purchasing a manufacturing plant set in the Brewster Creek Business Park.

The 100,000 square-foot building at 550 Spitzer Road will accommodate manufacturing lines for pasta and areas for fillings, ingredients, and room for future processing, documents show. The company hopes to add sauces and lasagna to its production in the future, and potentially open restaurants in the Chicago area. The company will not immediately have a retail location.

Company officials requested Tuesday to build an addition to house the mechanical room and a mezzanine level for office space. Officials expect to get the machinery by October and to open the doors in April 2012.

The building was purchased with the help of a state tax credit incentive of $960 per employee for a 10-year period. Rana plans to have 100 employees initially and hopes to expand to more than 150 employees, making the tax credit incentive $96,000 per year for a 10-year period, documents show.

The village staff has approved a $50,000 incentive be given to Rana for build-out costs, which will come out of the Brewster Creek tax increment financing account. In a TIF district, incentives are paid for with future increases in property tax revenue from the development. The company will purchase water from the village at the full rate, at an estimated $200,000-$300,000 per month.