Maplevale Farms Chief Executive Officer Keith Rogers discusses his company’s proposed relocation to the Findley Lake area.

A Falconer food distribution company is looking to move to the Findley Lake area.

During the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency meeting, board members reviewed plans for Maplevale Farms to relocate from 2063 Allen Street Extension in the town of Ellicott just outside the village to a new facility in the town of Mina.

The move, explained Chief Operating Officer Keith Rogers, will allow them to expand in the future as well as provide easier access to interstate highways.

The county IDA is still reviewing potential tax incentives for the relocation and no final decision has been made.

Rogers said originally they were going to move Maplevale Farms to Pennsylvania, but because of potential IDA incentives, as well as other state incentives, they decided to purchase property at 3196 Route 426. The property is currently a farm/residence.

Initial estimates are it will cost $41.3 million to construct a new refrigerated warehouse facility and distribution center. The construction work will create 300-400 temporary positions.

Maplevale currently has 213 jobs. All of those positions are expected to transfer once the new warehouse is constructed. They’re also expecting to immediately add another 23 jobs.

Maplevale Farms has been in business since 1951, as a family-owned, independent food distribution company. It was founded in French Creek before moving to Clymer. In 2010, the business relocated to the current facility in Falconer, due to a partial roof collapse caused by a significant winter snow storm.

It has operated at the Falconer location for the past 15 years, where Sysco Foods had operated from.

“We’ve been committed to operating out of Chautauqua County for nearly 75 years and want to continue that commitment for years and decades to come,” Rogers said. “We very much appreciate the support for the CCIDA, Chautauqua County, and the town of Mina and are excited to see this project move forward.”

The county IDA is expected to vote on tax incentives for the project in August.

The brand new, approximately 150,000-square-foot refrigerated food warehousing and distribution facility will be adjacent to Interstate 86 and just eight miles from Interstate 90. Once completed, Maplevale Farms will be able to upgrade and expand its food distribution operations and provide critical access to its customer base, which extends east towards Rochester, west towards Erie and Cleveland, and south towards Pittsburgh.

Rogers said they want to start construction in the fall and be completed by the first quarter of 2027.

Once they leave their current location, the county is expected to help market the property.

Even though they’re leaving a location in Ellicott, County Executive PJ Wendel expressed support for the relocation.

“This $41 million investment that Maplevale is making in Chautauqua County shows that businesses believe in our county and its strong workforce,” he said. “We are very appreciative of Maplevale’s decision to not only keep its operation here, but also expand and create additional jobs for our residents. It’s also great to see the CCIDA step in to offer support that will provide a huge return on investment. It’s a win-win for Maplevale and the people of Chautauqua County.”

Mina Town Supervisor Rebecca Brumagin agreed. “The Mina Town Board is pleased that Maplevale Farms is planning to relocate its commercial warehouse distribution center near the Findley Lake exit off of Interstate 86. Maplevale is a well-known and respected employer. Their capital investment and daily operations will have a significant and beneficial impact on our community,” she said.

County IDA Director Mark Geise is thankful that Maplevale isn’t leaving the county or the state. “Maplevale had purchased land just across the border in Pennsylvania and was considering a new facility there, but thanks to assistance from the CCIDA and New York state, we were able to keep the operation in the County. Meanwhile, our team is confident we can assist in finding a business to utilize the Falconer location, once the Maplevale relocation is complete and operations are moved,” he said.

Maplevale is not expected to leave its Falconer location until the new warehouse and distribution center is completed, which is expected to be 1 ½ to 2 years from now.