There were handshakes all around Tuesday morning as the deal to bring Mettler Toledo to Pasco County was announced.
Mettler Toledo manufactures metal detection and x-ray inspection equipment for the food industry.
For example, before packages of chicken are wrapped and sent to grocery stores these machines check to make sure there are no bones or metal inside.
“It’s a very quite simple problem to solve, not that expensive and it is applied by most food manufactures today,” said general manager Viggo Nielsen.
The Swiss-based company is moving from a much smaller operation in Tampa to a new 250,000 square foot facility to be built on a piece of land in Lutz.
The $30 million dollar project will be just across the county line off the Suncoast Expressway.
They will employ more than 500 people.
“They’ll be sales jobs, they’ll be welding jobs, assembly jobs. Office administrative. Management jobs. Everything in between,” said Nielsen.
“Mettler Toledo by virtue of their announcement of planned activities in Pasco County will change lives. They will add to the community, said John Krug with Enterprise Florida.
Business leaders said Mettler Toledo isn’t only business expanding to Pasco.
And more jobs are coming in the next few months.
“It shows other potential investors down the road that other companies can succeed and do well here and we’ve got a valuable work force,” said Pasco Economic Development Council director Bill Cronin.
Some employees will be transferring from a plant in New York that specializes in check-weighing equipment.
For those interested in working in the new facility, keep an eye out for a job fair in the next couple of weeks and on the company's website.
Construction is expected to be finished by fall of next year.
Incentives for Mettler Toledo to come to Pasco County aren't being disclosed yet. The information is still confidential until they are approved by the Board of County Commissioners.
