Nutrient Foods will relocate to Reno

Reno has landed another company relocation.

Nutrient Foods is moving both its corporate headquarters and manufacturing operations from Princeton, N.J., to a 100,000-square-foot facility near Mayberry Crossing Park.

The food maker will eventually employ 300 workers, according to the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, which helped Nutrient Foods in its search and announced the company’s relocation last week.

“Staff will be about 50 in the next couple weeks,” said Chip Marsland, CEO of Nutrient Foods.

The company had hoped to have the manufacturing plant up and running by now, but delivery of needed equipment has been delayed by the labor dispute at the Port of Oakland, said Marsland. A tentative agreement in the dispute was reached late last month.

Marsland said the company decided to move west and chose Reno partly due to Nevada’s favorable tax structure and business-friendly policies.

“And it was a wonderful opportunity to move to a more outdoorsy community,” said Marsland. “Coming from the East Coast, we find this area absolutely beautiful.”

Nutrient Foods develops and manufactures a range of what it calls nutrient-dense packaged foods as a healthy alternative to processed foods.

The products include breakfast items such as oatmeal and granola and lunch or dinner meals, including macaroni and cheese and ramen noodles.

Each meal contains half of the more than 43 essential nutrients humans require daily, according to the company.

“We offer an enormous variety of foods to help people grow, live and heal,” said Marsland. “Foods are supposed to be nourishing.”

Nutrient Foods’ products are sold direct by Yevo International in Salt Lake City, Nutrient Foods’ sister company, also founded by Marsland and Peter Castleman.

Marsland said the company will also be offering taste testing of foods at its new facility and hopes to reach out to schools and be a community resource for information on nutrition.