MIAMI — Baked foods maker Bauducco Foods has broken ground for a planned $200 million production and distribution facility in Zephyrhills, Fla.

Sao Paulo-based Bauducco, whose US headquarters is in Miami, said the new plant will produce a range of its signature products, including biscuits, wafers and panettones for distribution across the United States.

To be built on a 72-acre, project-ready site in the Zephyrhills Airport Industrial Park, the new facility will be developed in three phases, with the first phase slated to become operational by mid-2026, according to Bauducco. Plans call for the second phase to go into operation by 2028 and the third phase by 2030.

“We conducted an extensive analysis of over 160 potential sites across seven states, and Zephyrhills stood out as the ideal location,” said Stefano Mozzi, chief executive officer of Bauducco USA. “From the business-friendly environment to the fantastic support from the business development teams in the state, county and the city, we knew Zephyrhills was the right place.”

Bauducco had disclosed its purchase of the Pasco County site in late 2023 for the construction of a 403,000-square-foot facility. In announcing the March 21 groundbreaking, the company said the new plant’s advanced production technology will bring more flexibility to expand its product lineup and roll out new offerings.

The new facility is expected to create about 600 new jobs in the Tampa Bay area, including 120 full-time positions for phase one, Bauducco said.

Bauducco opened its US headquarters in Miami in 2016 and its first international plant there in 2018. The Brazilian company describes itself as the world’s largest maker of panettone and the largest baked foods manufacturer in South America, producing more than 400,000 tons of baked foods annually. Bauducco said its panettones, wafers, cookies and toasts are sold by most major US retailers and that the company is the third-fastest-growing cookie producer in the United States, with Bauducco wafers as the second-best-selling brand nationwide in that category.