Manufacturing News

Plant Openings & Expansions

Morningstar Foods, a division of Dean Foods, is investing $7 million in a 42,500-sq.-ft. storage center addition.

Morningstar Foods, a division of Dean Foods, is investing $7 million in a 42,500-sq.-ft. storage center addition to its production and distribution center in Jacksonville, FL. The dry storage portion of the project is expected to be finished in early 2005, while the refrigerated part will be completed later in 2005.

A manufacturer of dry food products, Compact Industries, plans to expand its St. Charles, IL, facility by almost 50 percent with the addition of materials storage and operating capacity. The company plans to move into the expanded space this winter.

Quaker Maid Meats is constructing a 40,000-sq.-ft. facility that will be used for processing and freezing. The Reading, PA, plant is expected to open in June 2005.

Triumph Foods began construction on a new 630,000-sq.-ft., $140 million hog processing facility in St. Joseph, MO. The plant is scheduled to begin operating in the fall of 2005 with 400 to 500 new employees.

The EVAL Co. of America plans a production capacity expansion for its ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, used as a food packaging material, by 53 million pounds per year. The project will cost $150 million and be completed in March 2006.