Hollister Utility Technician Jim Hart said the plant’s sewer
system has been inspected, repaired and is already treating
water.
The steady stream of forklifts and delivery trucks on East Street along with the fragrant smell of stewed tomatoes in the air is a sure sign that San Benito Foods has opened canning production for the summer.
And as one of the largest employers in San Benito County, the cannery is expected to make a big impact on the local economy by creating between 500 and 600 added jobs.
“I’d say our company has a huge impact on the community,” said Steve Arnoldy, senior vice president for Neil Food Co., the parent company of San Benito Foods. “We hire a lot of people who spend a lot of money in town as well as the taxes our business pays. Also, we buy in excess of 50,000 tons of tomatoes grown in San Benito County, so we are supporting the community there, too.”
San Benito Foods produces canned tomatoes in several forms, as well as tomato paste and other tomato products, and is open year round. During non-summer months, however, the plant typically employs about 75 people, Arnoldy said.
To dispose of the large amount of wastewater the plant produces, an isolated sewer system and treatment pond is used.
Hollister Utility Technician Jim Hart said the plant’s sewer system has been inspected, repaired and is already treating water.
“We had to repair a few aerators and make sure they were working right,” Hart said. “This is on its own completely separate system, so there are some things that have to be checked out first.”
Arnoldy said a large number of seasonal employees are returning from last year and that he expected a large part of their paychecks to be reinvested back into the community.
“We have guys coming out to work whose fathers worked here and their kids will work here,” Arnoldy said. “It goes back generations sometimes.”
