Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass./Press Release -- Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. has opened a new beverage plant in the Upper Macungie Township of Pennsylvania. The 300,000-square-foot facility will handle about 40% of the cranberry producer’s North American volume of juice products.

“The grower-owners of Ocean Spray Cranberries have made a major investment here in Pennsylvania, and today’s celebration is the result of a lot of hard work by our employees and partners on this project,” said Randy Papadellis, president and chief executive officer of Ocean Spray. “As a cooperative founded on the work ethic and values of its many grower-owners, Ocean Spray is committed to bringing a neighborly culture everywhere we do business. We are pleased to be joining the Lehigh Valley community and we look forward to being a part of the Pennsylvania economy for many decades to come.”

The first beverage plant in North America to be powered by hot water, the Lehigh Valley Beverage Facility will produce more than 30 million cases of Ocean Spray juice drinks each year, including 100% cranberry juice, as well as blends made with blueberry, grapefruit, pomegranate and other juices, in various packaging formats. All waste from the facility will be recycled.

“This state-of-the-art facility truly does represent Ocean Spray’s commitment to the future,” said Erich Fritz, vice president of engineering and new technologies for Ocean Spray, who oversaw the design and construction of the new beverage facility. “The Lehigh Valley facility is truly innovative with technology and systems designed to provide efficiency and major energy savings now and in the future.”

The new plant will employ 180 people, the company said.

With a total of 2,000 employees and nearly 20 cranberry receiving and processing facilities, Ocean Spray reported gross sales of $2.2 billion and net proceeds of $380 million in fiscal 2013.