An expansion project for The Organic Snack Co. in Bedford kicked off this week.

Plans call for a 35,000-square-foot addition to the building, which produces Kate’s Real Food Bars.

The expansion comes just three years after ground was broken for the original 20,000-square-foot facility in October 2019. The new building will connect to the original and will be used to double warehouse capacity, create more fulfillment lines and upgrade the current production operation, according to The Organic Snack Co. Chief Executive Officer Mark Thaler.

The company, which started with seven employees, is now up to 73. Thirty more jobs are expected to be created by the expansion, Thaler said.

“The growth is because the product sells itself,” said Thaler, a Hollidaysburg native.

The granola bars were first manufactured in a private residence, then a hotel basement in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, before production moved to Idaho, where 7,000 bars a day were made by hand, Thaler said.

“We finally came to Bedford, and what a great decision it was,” he said. “So far, The Organic Snack Co. has made around 45 million granola bars here.”

“This expansion is great news for our workforce and community,” said Bette Slayton, president/CEO of the Bedford County Development Association. “TOSC is also a tremendous fit for the region, which is famous for our outdoor lifestyle.”

Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Neil Weaver said, “Any time you have a big manufacturing expansion, that’s great news — but it’s doubly so in a place like Bedford County, where manufacturing is the backbone of the local economy. I’ve said it before on past visits, but here in Bedford County, the manufacturing industry employs more people than any other sector, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. In a lot of places you see the top employment sector being something like retail, health care or warehousing. But not in Bedford,” Weaver said.

The project is expected to be completed in late 2023.