Voyage Foods announced it will be opening a 284,000-sq.-ft. facility in Mason, Ohio to manufacture its cocoa-free chocolate, nut-free spreads, and bean-free coffee. The manufacturing plant is expected to be operational by the new year and will have the capacity to make 10,000 metric tons of cocoa-free chocolate annually once fully built.

After signing a deal in April with Cargill to become Voyage’s exclusive B2B global distributor for its nut-free spreads and cocoa-free chocolate, the new facility will help it deliver on new opportunities, particularly with CPG and foodservice companies.

Construction has been funded partially from a guaranteed loan program by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the ballpark of $25 million. The company will maintain headquarters and a manufacturing site in Oakland, Calif.

“With this new facility, Voyage is maturing from a startup food technology company to a large-scale manufacturer with the ability to deliver value across the entire ecosystem to our people, partners and the planet,” says Adam Maxwell, CEO and founder of Voyage Foods. “We feel very lucky to establish roots in Mason and continue Voyage’s story here.”

Voyage products are made from inexpensive, widely available plant-based ingredients, many of which are upcycled from waste and side streams. With raw materials that are less expensive to source, the company says its partners enjoy fair and stable pricing along with environmental, ethical and allergy-friendly benefits. Voyage Foods has raised more than $94 million from investors to date.