Frito-Lay to Open Distribution Plant

Frito-Lay, the giant snack-foods company, said it would open a distribution center in Sylmar that will employ more than 100 workers when it opens next spring.

Said Mayor Richard Riordan in a statement: “This project is another example of the outstanding work being done by L.A.’s Business Team to . . . create new economic opportunities in our city.”

The 70,000-square-foot Frito-Lay plant will be built on part of a planned 88-acre business park by Royal Clark Development Co.

Frito-Lay said it needed more distribution outlets because of its fast growth. It now has five manufacturing sites and 77 warehouse and distribution centers in California.

Frito-Lay, owned by PepsiCo Inc., saw its sales grow 28% to $8.5 billion last year and it holds more than half of the market share nationally in the salty snacks industry.