MADISON, WIS. — Lakeside Foods, a supplier of frozen and canned foods to the retail, food service and industrial segments, will invest $40 million to expand operations in Manitowoc, Wis.

The expansion will include a 100,000-square-foot addition to Lakeside Foods’ frozen packaging and storage space to meet custom packaging needs of existing customers and increase capacity to foster growth and product innovation in the frozen foods industry.

Lakeside Foods said the facility currently packages more than 100 million lbs of canned and frozen vegetables each year for more than 100 private label consumers. With the expansion, Lakeside Foods said it will be able to increase frozen food offerings and leverage new business opportunities.

“We considered numerous factors when planning our expansion, and ultimately the decision came down to the strength of Wisconsin’s food processing industry, a solid business infrastructure and the quality of the state’s workforce,” said Joe Yanda, senior vice-president of operations for Lakeside Foods. “The culture of Wisconsin as an agricultural state in which people value honest work aligns well with Lakeside’s business of harvesting and selling produce and our commitment to delivering on the expectations of our customers.”

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is providing up to $1 million in tax credits over three years to support the company’s expansion of its frozen food packaging facility.

Lakeside Foods operates 13 plants with distribution in 14 countries around the world. The company earlier this year acquired Good Eats Food Co., a Fayetteville, Ark.-based maker of canned beans under the Serious Bean Co. brand and frozen vegetable products under the Ruthie’s Twisted Harvest brand, and Riverside Foods, a Two Rivers, Wis.-based producer of cheese appetizers, specialty frozen vegetable and seafood products.