In 2014, Edibles Rex was all about growing its revenue and food manufacturing business. This year, it's aiming to finish building out its new home near Eastern Market.
The 22-year-old firm has called the Warren-Connor neighborhood on Detroit's east side home for years. There it has provided catering and wholesale food preparation services, such as making the meals for school and corporate cafeterias. It won a $250,000
Mission Main Street grant last year that helped it expand its business by adding things like more delivery trucks.
"We added three more trucks last year," says Tammy Tedesco, CEO of
Edibles Rex.
Edibles Rex has increased its revenues by about 10 percent over the last year, enabling it to hire about 20 people in kitchen prep, school lunch service, and clerical work. It currently employs about 110 people and is looking to add a few more jobs as it grows.
Edibles Rex has just entered Phase 1 of building out its new home in Eastern Market to help house that growing workforce. The first phase will build out half of the 50,000-square-foot building. Edibles Rex plans to use part of its own work and also lease out other sections of it for smaller food companies that want access to things like a 24-hour access to a licensed kitchen and office space.
"We are making a space for other food manufacturers who want to be in Eastern Market," Tedesco says.
Source: Tammy Tedesco, CEO of Edibles Rex
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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