MANCHESTER – State and local officials gathered today to celebrate the grand opening of Manchester Barbecue Pellets’ new manufacturing facility at the old farmers co-op building.
The historic brick building at 46 Apel Place formerly operated as a farmer-owned factory that produced pelletized animal food. It will now be used to make hardwood barbecue pellets for use in pellet grills.
Scott Licamele, the president of Manchester Barbecue Pellets, estimated that the company would create about 25 manufacturing jobs over the next year, with an end goal of creating 30 to 40 jobs total.
“Food brings people together, but barbecue brings Americans together,” Michael Licamele, Scott’s brother and company co-founder, said. “We want to be part of that journey.”
The large blue, barn-style building was part of the larger co-op property, a set of five industrial buildings and three silos. The adjoining property, with a building known as the old opera house, was used as the co-op’s farmstead. Both properties were run by the Central Connecticut Cooperative Farmers Association before it closed in 2016.
Manchester Barbecue Pellets acquired the former animal feed mill building in 2017 and sought to restore and repurpose the abandoned mill that is located near the intersection of Oakland and Woodbridge streets. The company’s managing member is Michael Licamele, Scott’s brother and the developer who had worked on redevelopment of the Manchester Parkade property.
The company was joined by state and local officials for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, such as Mayor Jay Moran, and Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Chief Manufacturing Officer Paul Lavoie.
Moran thanked the company for reusing the property and rekindling the town’s deep roots in the mill industry.
“To salvage this mill right here on this rail that we have is great,” Moran said. “Every time someone flips a burger they’ll think of this great city of village charm.”
This story will be updated.
