Red Monkey investing $3.4M in HQ move to Republic

Spice manufacturer Red Monkey Foods plans to invest $3.4 million in its new Republic headquarters.

In the move from Mount Vernon, Red Monkey will bring about 128 jobs to Republic's Brookline Business Park, 6800 W. Stainless Way, and add another 40 jobs - administrators, managers and machine operators - during the next two years, CEO Jeff Brinkhoff said this morning.

Brinkhoff said revenue growth prompted the move to the 60,000-square-foot facility being built by Rich Kramer Construction and designed by Richard Werner Architect Firm. He said the company may decide to keep its 38,000-square-foot Mount Vernon plant operational, but plans for the facility haven't been solidified. The move to Republic is expected in January.

Red Monkey posted revenue of $12.5 million in 2013, ranking the company No. 1,637 on Inc. magazine's annual fast growth list based on three-year revenue growth of 100 percent, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

Republic Planning and Development Director Gail Noggle said Red Monkey's new facility would be located in the city's enhanced enterprise zone, entitling it to 50 percent property tax abatement over 10 years provided it meets criteria such as job creation, offering health insurance to employees and making a minimum $100,000 capital investment.

At the Republic industrial park, Red Monkey would join the likes of Watson Metal Masters Inc., which moved from Nixa this summer in a $4.8 million capital investment plan approved for local and state incentives by Republic and through the Missouri Works program, said Noggle. Other tenants are Ashley Furniture HomeStore and RepMo Warehouse, she said.

Established in 2002, Red Monkey Foods focuses on delivering private-label goods, or manufacturing such products under the banner or brand of the retailer that it works with – such as Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT), Price Cutter and Harter House. It also produces a house line of products under the Good Flavors brand.[[In-content Ad]]