Bottled water company to invest $95 million to open facility in Chesterfield

Niagara Bottling is investing $95 million to open a manufacturing and bottling operation in Chesterfield County.

The Ontario, Calif., bottled water company will open a 450,000-square-foot facility in the Meadowville Technology Park that  is expected to create 76 new jobs. The property is located next to Amazon’s fulfillment center.

A $50 million second phase of the project is expected to increase the workforce by another 50 employees.

Niagara Bottling is the largest private label bottled water supplier in the U.S.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved a $500,000 grant from the Commonwealth Opportunity Fund for the project.

Niagara also will be eligible to receive sales and use tax exemptions on manufacturing equipment. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities also will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

“Niagara Bottling LLC is committed to providing a high-quality product with unmatched quality service to its customers,” Brian Hess, executive vice president of operation for Niagara, said in a statement. “The Chesterfield, Va., location allows the company to fulfill that commitment by providing an optimal location that is close to both its existing and growing customer market.”

The investment has been an economic development project several years in the making, according to the Greater Richmond Partnership. Discussions started between Barry Matherly, GRP’s president and CEO, and Derieth Sutton, Niagara’s director of economic development and government Relations, as far back as 2012. Virginia competed with several states, according to the GRP, and the company eventually considered 12 sites in the Richmond region.