A major building project at the University of Georgia-Griffin has neared completion, as the school will host a ribbon-cutting for it’s new Food Product and Innovation Center at the end of this month. The center facilitates commercialization of food products by providing intellectual resources and physical facilities for both start-up ventures and existing food companies. Groundbreaking was held in the fall of 2014 on the campus, where University of Georgia president Jere Morehead says the center now plays a leading role in the success of the food industry. Small and large businesses alike have come to the center to get assistance. Some of those larger businesses that have utilized FoodPIC include Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola, and Boar’s Head, among others. Once the center opens, the University president says it signifies a valuable partnership with the school, the community, and the industry as a whole. The state of the art facility, located at the southeast corner of the Melton Building, will house pilot plants and lab spaces for hot and cold temperature work; wet and dry processing; quality control laboratories; refrigerated, frozen, and dry storage; a demonstration kitchen and administrative offices. Main players in the project, whether through funding or leadership, were Georgia governor Nathan Deal, members of the General Assembly, the university system of Georgia chancellor and board of regents, the Griffin-Spalding Development Authority, the US Economic Development Administration, and UGA. The ribbon cutting for the new building comes up on January 30th at 3pm.
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