Restaurant Equipment Maker Expands Ohio Headquarters

Ohio restaurant equipment manufacturer Henny Penny on Monday officially kicked off what company officials called the largest expansion in its more than 60-year history.

The Dayton Daily News reports that construction began Monday on a project that will add 150,000 square feet to its headquarters in Eaton, about an hour north of Cincinnati, and renovate another 25,000 square feet. Henny Penny expects to add about 70 jobs as a result of the expansion.

The company currently employs about 600 people in Ohio producing fryers, ovens, heaters, and other equipment used in restaurants such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Chick-fil-A, the paper noted.

The company previously added 44,000 square feet of space in Eaton in 2014.

“We’re on an accelerated growth pace as we continue powering the world’s most demanding kitchens,” Rob Connelly, the company’s chief executive, told the paper.

Ohio’s economic development agency expects to provide support for the project, but Henny Penny officials said the company and state are still finalizing “outstanding items” in their agreement.