Milo’s Whole World Gourmet growing in Athens County
Lead Summary
By
Ohio Southeast Economic Development-
Milo’s Whole World Gourmet, in collaboration with JobsOhio, Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE) and the Athens County Economic Development Council (ACEDC), Thursday announced it will invest at least $450,000 to upgrade its facility and purchase new machinery and production equipment.
For almost 20 years, the wide variety of specialty foods manufactured in small batches by Milo’s Whole World Gourmet (Milo’s WWG) have been popular in southeast Ohio and beyond.
The company makes two brands: Vino de Milo wine-based pasta sauces and salad dressings, and Brownwood Farms, a brand encompassing a wide range of condiments, from BBQ sauces to ketchups to mustards to jams, pie fillings, fruit salsas and more – all made with regionally sourced ingredients. The two brands are sold in grocery and specialty stores across the nation and in several other countries as well.
In the past few years, Milo’s WWG has expanded with the addition of co-packing services – making custom products for other food companies. The branded sales and the co-pack sales have combined to propel the company to significant growth – sales are expected to almost double this year over last – and it’s now in the process of building a from-scratch facility to consolidate its operations under one roof.
The company was founded in 2003 by Jonathan Milo Leal, who is excited about leading the company into the next phase of its growth.
“After almost 20 years, we’re ready to take our deep bench of expertise and combine it with a world-class production facility to gain more and larger customers,” said Leal. “We have already hired several new positions, and this growth opportunity will allow us to add even more. Our core values are integrity, respect, quality, safety and success – and we mean those as much for our employees as we do for our customers and vendors. I want this to be a place people love to work at.”
Currently made at ACEnet in Athens and shipped from the ACEnet warehouse in Nelsonville, the Milo’s WWG production will soon occur in a “building in a building” located on the Nelsonville campus of the ACEnet warehouse. As a result of this expansion, at least three new jobs will be added, with more to follow.
“Milo’s is a long-standing leader in Athens County’ food manufacturing industry,” said Mollie Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Athens County Economic Development Council (ACEDC). “Over the years, they have continued to grow product lines and expand into new markets. The ACEDC is grateful for JobsOhio’s support of the company’s new production facility through the Inclusion Grant.”
JobsOhio supported the project with a $50,000 JobsOhio Inclusion Grant. The Athens County Economic Development Council and Ohio Southeast Economic Development assisted Milo’s WWG with the grant process. The Inclusion Grant exists to provide financial support for eligible projects in designated distressed communities and/or for businesses owned by underrepresented populations across the state. Eligibility requirement for the program can be found at jobsohio.com/why-ohio/inclusion-grant/.
Mike Jacoby, President of Ohio Southeast Economic Development, emphasized the programs strong fit for many businesses in the region. “Small businesses are important, and this program – which has been in existence for one year – enables us to support more companies so they can grow and have an even greater economic impact on southern and eastern Ohio.”
Milo’s Whole World Gourmet, LCC is a creator and producer of specialty foods based in Athens, Ohio. Milo’s seeks to procure ingredients from the finest sources in the Great Lakes region and United States. Milo’s crafts all of our gourmet products in small-batches, with clean and minimal ingredients, and with the quality, care and ingenuity one would find in a true homemade product. In addition to their co-pack and private label business, Milo’s encompasses three brands: Vino de Milo is our wine and vodka infused line of pasta sauces and salad dressings; JB’s Best Sauces is our boldly crafted line of craft beer and spirit infused products including beer-based BBQ sauces and bourbon-based ketchups; and Brownwood Farms is our line of farm-fresh quality sauces and condiments, including Famous Kream® Mustard, BBQ sauces, fruit salsas, pie fillings and fruit spreads. Learn more at miloswholeworld.com.
The Athens County Economic Development Council (ACEDC) is the champion of business in southeast Ohio. They are a public-private partnership committed to increasing economic opportunity in Athens County by encouraging entrepreneurship, recruiting new businesses and helping existing businesses grow and expand. Learn more at athenscountyohedc.com.
Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE) is the JobsOhio Network Partner for southern, eastern and southeastern Ohio, providing economic development work and resources in 25 rural counties; they are the newest and geographically the largest of the six regions across the state. OhioSE partners closely with regional development districts, local economic development offices, state agencies and other entities to expand, retain and attract businesses in the counties they serve. Learn more at OhioSE.com.
JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio though Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow JobsOhio on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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For almost 20 years, the wide variety of specialty foods manufactured in small batches by Milo’s Whole World Gourmet (Milo’s WWG) have been popular in southeast Ohio and beyond.
The company makes two brands: Vino de Milo wine-based pasta sauces and salad dressings, and Brownwood Farms, a brand encompassing a wide range of condiments, from BBQ sauces to ketchups to mustards to jams, pie fillings, fruit salsas and more – all made with regionally sourced ingredients. The two brands are sold in grocery and specialty stores across the nation and in several other countries as well.
In the past few years, Milo’s WWG has expanded with the addition of co-packing services – making custom products for other food companies. The branded sales and the co-pack sales have combined to propel the company to significant growth – sales are expected to almost double this year over last – and it’s now in the process of building a from-scratch facility to consolidate its operations under one roof.
The company was founded in 2003 by Jonathan Milo Leal, who is excited about leading the company into the next phase of its growth.
“After almost 20 years, we’re ready to take our deep bench of expertise and combine it with a world-class production facility to gain more and larger customers,” said Leal. “We have already hired several new positions, and this growth opportunity will allow us to add even more. Our core values are integrity, respect, quality, safety and success – and we mean those as much for our employees as we do for our customers and vendors. I want this to be a place people love to work at.”
Currently made at ACEnet in Athens and shipped from the ACEnet warehouse in Nelsonville, the Milo’s WWG production will soon occur in a “building in a building” located on the Nelsonville campus of the ACEnet warehouse. As a result of this expansion, at least three new jobs will be added, with more to follow.
“Milo’s is a long-standing leader in Athens County’ food manufacturing industry,” said Mollie Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Athens County Economic Development Council (ACEDC). “Over the years, they have continued to grow product lines and expand into new markets. The ACEDC is grateful for JobsOhio’s support of the company’s new production facility through the Inclusion Grant.”
JobsOhio supported the project with a $50,000 JobsOhio Inclusion Grant. The Athens County Economic Development Council and Ohio Southeast Economic Development assisted Milo’s WWG with the grant process. The Inclusion Grant exists to provide financial support for eligible projects in designated distressed communities and/or for businesses owned by underrepresented populations across the state. Eligibility requirement for the program can be found at jobsohio.com/why-ohio/inclusion-grant/.
Mike Jacoby, President of Ohio Southeast Economic Development, emphasized the programs strong fit for many businesses in the region. “Small businesses are important, and this program – which has been in existence for one year – enables us to support more companies so they can grow and have an even greater economic impact on southern and eastern Ohio.”
Milo’s Whole World Gourmet, LCC is a creator and producer of specialty foods based in Athens, Ohio. Milo’s seeks to procure ingredients from the finest sources in the Great Lakes region and United States. Milo’s crafts all of our gourmet products in small-batches, with clean and minimal ingredients, and with the quality, care and ingenuity one would find in a true homemade product. In addition to their co-pack and private label business, Milo’s encompasses three brands: Vino de Milo is our wine and vodka infused line of pasta sauces and salad dressings; JB’s Best Sauces is our boldly crafted line of craft beer and spirit infused products including beer-based BBQ sauces and bourbon-based ketchups; and Brownwood Farms is our line of farm-fresh quality sauces and condiments, including Famous Kream® Mustard, BBQ sauces, fruit salsas, pie fillings and fruit spreads. Learn more at miloswholeworld.com.
The Athens County Economic Development Council (ACEDC) is the champion of business in southeast Ohio. They are a public-private partnership committed to increasing economic opportunity in Athens County by encouraging entrepreneurship, recruiting new businesses and helping existing businesses grow and expand. Learn more at athenscountyohedc.com.
Ohio Southeast Economic Development (OhioSE) is the JobsOhio Network Partner for southern, eastern and southeastern Ohio, providing economic development work and resources in 25 rural counties; they are the newest and geographically the largest of the six regions across the state. OhioSE partners closely with regional development districts, local economic development offices, state agencies and other entities to expand, retain and attract businesses in the counties they serve. Learn more at OhioSE.com.
JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio though Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow JobsOhio on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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