Sara Lee to consolidate R&D functions at multimillion-dollar corporate campus

Nation's Restaurant News,  Feb 26, 2007  

Tags: R&D, Sara Lee Corp.

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Downers Grove, Ill. -- Sara Lee Corp. said that it has finalized plans for The Kitchens of Sara Lee, a multimillion-dollar research and development campus, which will be located at the company's corporate headquarters here.

The 150,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to be completed in early 2009.

The Kitchens of Sara Lee will include research and development and culinary facilities; product, packaging and equipment development and testing; sensory services; a pilot operations facility; analytical and micro labs; and product training facilities.

The new facility will mark the first time in the company's history that all of its North American research and development activities have been centralized in one location.

The Kitchens of Sara Lee will add about 150 research and development professionals to the company's ranks.

"In the last year we have consolidated our research and development functions in Downers Grove, Illinois, from three major locations across the country, which has greatly enhanced our ability to rapidly translate identified consumer needs into value-added, high quality, great tasting products," said Heidi Kleinbach-Sauter, senior vice president of research and development for Sara Lee Food and Beverage and Sara Lee Foodservice. "The Kitchens of Sara Lee will provide our team with the tools and technology to build upon our momentum, and having the facility located at the site of our headquarters will allow us to maximize collaboration with all of our colleagues."

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