Rise Baking to close Kent, Wash., facility

MINNEAPOLIS — Rise Baking Co. plans to expand its production plant in Pleasant View, Utah, and close its facility in Kent, Wash.

Minneapolis-based Rise said the moves reflect a broader strategy to optimize its manufacturing network and spur growth across various product categories, including increased pie production capacity.

Describing the Pleasant View project as a “major expansion,” Rise said it aims to add about 115,000 square feet of new manufacturing space to drive operational efficiency, consistency and long-term growth nationwide. The company noted that concentrating more production in Pleasant View will streamline its manufacturing footprint and better align capacity with customer demand.

Plans call for the Pleasant View expansion to be completed this year. Currently with 142,000 square feet of production and cold storage space, the plant has been in operation since 1994 and specializes in cookies and icings, offering a range of labor-saving solutions and Rise’s signature buttercremes.

“This expansion is about building a smarter, more efficient manufacturing network that better supports our customers today and positions us for the future,” said Mark McNeil, who took the reins as chief executive officer of Rise Baking in January. “By further investing in Pleasant View, we’re optimizing our pie production footprint while creating additional footprint and capacity to support future growth, strengthening our ability to deliver the quality and consistency our customers rely on.”

Meanwhile, Rise said it expects to close the Kent pie production plant “in the coming months” as part of efforts to consolidate its manufacturing footprint. The company had acquired the Kent facility in late 2023 from Wonder Brands Holdings Inc. 

“The decision to close the Kent facility was made after careful consideration,” Rise said. “The company recognizes the impact this has on employees and their families and is committed to supporting those affected through a severance and retention package aligned with years of service, as well as opportunities to pursue other roles within the organization.”

Rise expects the Pleasant View expansion to create 170 jobs for the Pleasant View, Weber County and Utah communities. The project also includes “significant infrastructure upgrades,” ranging from advanced wastewater management systems to new energy-saving efficiencies to reduce environmental impact, the company added.

Founded in 2013, Rise fields a product lineup that includes cookies, pies, cakes, icings, muffins, brownies, crispy bars, artisan bread and flatbreads. The company supplies retail bakeries, foodservice operators and food distributors — including national grocery chains, convenience stores, mass merchants and quick-service restaurants — across North America. Its brands include Brill, South Coast Baking, Table Talk, Best Maid, Henry & Henry and Bakestone Brothers, among others. Global investment firms Platinum Equity and Butterfly acquired Rise in 2024.