Western expansion lands Turano Baking Co. in Henderson

After operating in the Central and Eastern time zones for 55 years, Turano Baking Co. is expanding west of the Mississippi River, to Henderson.

The groundbreaking for a 125,000-square-foot building on 33 acres near Bruner Avenue and Henderson Executive Airport took place March 29. Turano ’s warehouse is set to be open in October.

“We were looking at a Western location,” said Anthony Turano, director of administration for the 55-year-old company. “Southern Nevada made the most sense from economic and logistical standpoints.”

Turano Baking, created in Chicago in 1962, isn’t coming to Southern Nevada just to make bread. Job creation is a primary focus, Anthony Turano said.

The company aims to fill 60 jobs, ranging from entry level to upper management, he said. According to September 2015 meeting notes from Diversify Nevada, the average wage for employees will be $23.11 an hour.

The company hopes to employ an additional 100-150 people within five years and plans to generate nearly $10.3 million in tax revenue in 10 years. According to the Diversify Nevada report, it will invest just over $38 million in equipment, along with $15 million in construction costs.

The stretch of St. Rose Parkway from Eastern Avenue to Interstate 15 has become a prime landing spot for expanding companies. Levi Strauss & Co., 501 Executive Airport Drive, and Cashman Equipment Co., 3300 St. Rose Parkway, are major manufacturers that operate in Henderson.

Henderson and North Las Vegas were Turano’s top location choices. Henderson won because of its proximity to I-15 and its access to Southern California, as well as quick access to the 215 Beltway, Anthony Turano said.

Henderson Mayor-elect Debra March recently visited Turano Baking’s Chicago-based factory and said she was impressed with the operations.

“Henderson is a better location because of the turnaround time,” she said. “It’s a logistic decision, sometimes, that companies go with.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@viewnews.com or 702-477-3834. Follow @DannyWebster21 on Twitter.