TWIN FALLS, IDAHO — Glanbia Foods plans to invest $82 million to expand manufacturing and production plants in Gooding, Idaho, and Twin Falls, the company said Dec. 5.

The investment will include expanding whey protein production in Gooding to include whey protein isolate and creating a center of excellence for the in-house blending and agglomeration of nutritional products. Twin Falls-based Glanbia also plans to introduce lactoferrin production to the Twin Falls location and to expand internal drying capacity to cater for production in both Twin Falls and Gooding.

The new facilities should be fully operational by 2016. The expansion may create up to 50 jobs.

“This expansion is strongly aligned with our strategy of adding further value to our whey stream,” said Daragh Maccabee, executive vice-president and chief financial officer of Glanbia Foods. “The company considered various options and locations for these new activities but ultimately came to the conclusion that Idaho was the right location. We have a long track record in Idaho, and the support of the state and local communities was instrumental in our choice of Idaho for renewed expansion.”

Glanbia Foods will receive a tax reimbursement incentive credit of 23% for 10 years, which was matched by the local community. The Gooding County Board of County Commissioners approved a property tax exemption on the incremental new capital investment.