Italian Pasta Maker Il Pastaio to Open First U.S. Facility in Union County

Shovels hit the dirt in Gregg Township as Il Pastaio, the Italy-based gnocchi maker, broke ground on a 71,300-square-foot manufacturing facility at the Great Stream Commons business park, marking the company's first production foothold in North America and injecting more than $12.5 million into Union County's economy.

The project, which Pennsylvania secured after winning a multistate competition for the investment, is expected to create at least 74 full-time jobs. Founded in 1983, Il Pastaio operates three manufacturing facilities in Italy and sells gnocchi under its namesake brand and the Patarò label. The company's expanding U.S. import business drove the decision to build domestically.

CEO Pierluigi Colombi set ambitious production targets for the new plant. "I think that here we can start with 15 million pounds to develop to 50 million in 3 years," Colombi said. For context, Il Pastaio produces roughly 100 million pounds of pasta annually across its Italian facilities. Colombi described the broader significance of the investment: "The opening of this plant is certainly an important step for Il Pastaio, but it also materializes the idea of making our contribution to the integration of the best Italian traditions with the energy and the agro-food culture of the United States."

Governor Josh Shapiro attended the groundbreaking and made clear the win was the result of deliberate competition. "I'm competitive as hell, and from day one, I've made clear that I want Pennsylvania to compete and win on a global scale. Having an Italian company like Il Pastaio recognize that Pennsylvania is the best place to do business proves we're getting stuff done and delivering real results," Shapiro said.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Community and Economic Development Rick Siger cited the combination of workforce quality and site readiness as the deciding factors. "He was very focused on the quality of our workforce and our hardworking folks, and we had a pad-ready site available with the right tax inducements, workforce training incentives that made this a really highly competitive offer as he compared it against other states," Siger said. He also noted that if Il Pastaio chooses to source raw materials such as potatoes from Pennsylvania farmers, "all the better."

The state's financial commitment to the project is specific. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development provided a funding proposal that includes a $111,000 WEDnetPA grant earmarked for worker training and up to $72,200 in tax credits through the Manufacturing Tax Credit Program. The Great Stream Commons site's location within a Keystone Opportunity Zone will provide additional tax savings on the project.

Shawn McLaughlin, Director of Planning and Economic Development for Union County, framed the investment as evidence of a broader shift. "This project is a testament to the power of teamwork and the manufacturing resurgence we're witnessing across our region, thanks to companies like Il Pastaio," McLaughlin said. "Today, we're seeing our corner of the world change for the better."

The Shapiro Administration noted that since taking office it has secured and announced more than $3 billion in private sector investments statewide. The Il Pastaio facility in Gregg Township represents one of the more concrete expressions of that record landing in a rural Pennsylvania county.