Meijer offering $14 an hour pay at Middlebury plant, filling 50 job openings

The Grand Rapids-based retail super center chain with 230 stores in six Midwest states announced Tuesday afternoon that besides food products, employees at the facility will also be making a little more money as part of an initiative to attract and retain workers. 

Meijer is expanding the number of jobs at the facility and two weeks ago implemented a new starting wage of $14 an hour, an increase from the previous $11.25 an hour starting wage, according to Jeff Sanders, plant manager at Central Kitchen. He said the facility provides pre-packaged foods under the Meijer name to every one of the 230 Meijer stores.

"We were looking at doing this expansion because the company is growing," he said. "We feel that if we remain competitive pay wise that will help attract workers and reduce turnover, which is what we want."

Built in 1977, the 150,000-square-foot plant is split into several sections, each providing a different service, from a bakery that bakes cookies and bread to a salad area where fresh salads are packaged. Meijer currently employs 215 people at the facility.