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Sara Lee To Spend $130M On Kansas City Plant

The Associated Press

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (AP) — Sara Lee Corp. said Friday it will spend more than $130 million to open a new sliced meat manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Kan., where it will add more than 250 jobs.

The Downers Grove, Ill.-based company said it expects the plant to be fully operational by 2011.

The food maker said it is making the investment in the plant to give it capacity for long-term growth in the meat business.

CJ Fraleigh, chief executive of the company's North American Retail and Foodservice division, said the plant will help the company build on its Hillshire Farm and Sara Lee brands.

Food companies have been refocusing their efforts on manufacturing sliced meats and other packaged, convenience products as the U.S. consumer looks to cut costs by eating more meals at home.