Kerry, a global taste and nutrition company, has opened its upgraded coatings and breadcrumbs facility in Rome, Georgia. A total of $136 million has been invested to create one of the more state-of-the-art food manufacturing facilities in the United States, which represents Kerry’s largest-ever capital expenditure investment and one of the biggest in Georgia’s history.

The facility, which now employs 250 people, provides integrated taste and nutrition solutions to help customers meet growing consumer demand in the poultry, seafood and alternative protein markets across the US and Canada.

With a footprint of 316,000 sq.-ft, the facility employs world leading food technologies and systems and has the highest standards of food safety. As part of Kerry’s sustainability strategy, Beyond the Horizon, the company has prioritized sustainability initiatives across the entire facility. This includes using 100% renewable electricity, zero waste to landfill, bulk receiving of materials, local sourcing where possible and the extensive use of energy efficient equipment.

More precisely, sustainability benefits include the following:

• The plant’s energy efficient design is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 34%.
• Fifty percent of all raw materials are sourced within 150 miles of the facility, and 95% are sourced within North America, helping reduce carbon emissions through the supply chain.
• Added bulk storage at the site will reduce freight to the site by 25%.
• And the facility will achieve zero waste to landfill (ZWTLF) this year through central recycling and a facility bailing system to optimize waste streams and maximize recycling.

“We are delighted to officially open this new facility which more than doubles our capacity in Rome and is now one of the most advanced and modern food manufacturing facilities in the country,” says Oliver Kelly, president and CEO of Kerry in North America. 

Dignitaries from the state of Georgia and Ireland attended the ribbon cutting ceremony, which took place on Monday March 14^th. Those in attendance at the event included the Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, Kerry CEO Edmond Scanlon, Chairman of the Board Philip Toomey, Georgia Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson—along with state and regional elected officials.