EFFINGHAM, ILL. — Continental Mills, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of baking and beverage mixes, snacks and other foods, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 15 at its recently upgraded facility in Effingham. The facility was acquired in December 2013 from Harlan Bakeries, with Continental Mills taking over operations on June 29.

Continental Mills said it has invested more than $2 million in the 190,000-square-foot plant this year. The company makes dry mixes for baking at the facility, and improvements include upgrades to information technology systems, process controls and infrastructure. The renovated facility also will have more production capacity and updated systems that provide greater reliability and connect to the broader company systems.

“This is an investment in Continental Mills and this community,” said Mike Meredith, senior vice-president of operations. “The upgrades and improvements we have made position us well for long-term growth. We’re proud to keep these jobs here in Effingham and expect to add more in the future.”

Continental Mills retained all 13 people previously employed by Harlan. Two people who were previously part-time contractors were brought on as full-time employees, the company said.

The dry mix manufacturing facility was built by Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Corp. in 2001 and sold to Harlan Bakeries, a family-owned company, in 2008. The facility can manufacture up to 225 million lbs of dry mixes. In addition to Effingham, Continental Mills’ manufacturing footprint includes facilities in Kent, Wash., Hopkinsville, Ky., and Manhattan, Kas.