Gray has partnered with Clemens Food Group to build a new smoked-meat processing facility at its Hatfield, Penn. campus. The 308,000-sq.-ft. plant will also support cooked sausage production, and is expected to add 90 jobs to Clemens’ roster over the next three years. 

Designed and constructed by Tippmann Group, Blackline Cold Storage will develop, construct and operate a new 298,000-sq.-ft. cold storage facility (which will be co-owned by Artemis Real Estate Partners) at the Port of Houston.

Diageo North America plans to expand its manufacturing footprint and install two can lines at a new facility in Plainfield, Ill. With an investment of about $80 million, the facility will be in operation by this summer.

Barvecue, producers of wood-smoked, plant-based barbecue, broke ground on a 10,000-sq.-ft., plant-based smokehouse and production facility to be called the Carolina Smokehouse. The Cornelius, N.C. facility is scheduled to open in July of 2021. 

Tyson Foods is reestablishing its operations in Columbia, S.C. by investing $55 million over three years to transform the facility into a meat portioning and packaging operation, which will create 330 jobs (including 160 former positions). Operations are expected to begin this month.

Mars Petcare is investing $200 million to expand its Lebanon, Tenn. operation to support the production of cat and dog foods by adding five new automated lines and 108,000 sq.-ft. of space, creating 90 new jobs. Construction will be complete in 2022.

Simmons Pet Food in Siloam Springs, Ark. is expanding its operations by 90,000 sq.-ft. to add three more production lines and create 150 new jobs. The project, run by The Austin Company, should be complete by fall.

First announced in FE, November 2020, Stella & Chewy’s is planning a $67.8 million expansion to its Oak Creek, Wis. operation. The 139,000-sq.-ft. expansion listed in the prior news item) will consist of a new manufacturing facility adjacent to its existing building. 

Canadian Big Mountain Foods announced its expansion into a 70,000-sq.-ft. facility in Vancouver, B.C. as it partners with Kroger to provide plant-based foods.

Greenleaf Foods, subsidiary of Maple Leaf Foods, completed its previously announced purchase of a 118,000-sq.-ft. facility in Indianapolis, where it will install new equipment to increase the company’s tempeh production.

National Beef Packing Company (Tama, Iowa) plans to increase production capacity with a $100 million investment for expansion plus a second shift; the project will be completed in late 2022.

WellPet is investing $30 million (of which $3.5 million is being set aside to reduce odors) to expand its facility in Mishawaka, Ind. Besides reducing odors, the new system will also reduce steam dissipation from the plant.

Innovation Foods plans a $45 million expansion of nearly 72,000-sq.-ft. to its Oatly (oat milk) aseptic processing and packaging facility in Millville, N.J., creating 40 new jobs.

Bueno Foods (Albuquerque) is expanding its freezer warehouse by 25,000-sq.-ft by investing $10 million, with the project to be complete in 2022, providing extra space for chiles and other food products.

Blue Runner Foods, which prepares navy and red beans and meal bases for gumbo, is investing $2.2 million to expand its facilities in Gonzalez, La.

Gotham Greens is building a new 10-acre (436,000-sq.-ft.) greenhouse/production facility for salad greens in Davis, Cal., near and in partnership with UC Davis. Opening this year, the facility will employ 60 people.

Kroger/Ocado recently broke ground on a new 350,000-sq.-ft. warehouse/fulfillment center in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. The facility will employ 400 people when completed.

Pending local government approval, Central Valley Meat in Hanford, Calif., plans to increase its production capacity to 4500 head of cattle per day. Included in the expansion is a 103,000-sq.-ft processing facility and a 187,000-sq.-ft. freezer.

Naeve Family Beef plans to begin construction on a new $10.2 million processing facility in Camanche, Iowa, providing local processing and packaging services to farmers who sell directly to restaurants, distributors and consumers.

Edgewood Locker in Edgewood, Iowa, plans a new facility valued at $8.4 million to quadruple its throughput for jerky and sausage.

Cardinal Foods and Russet House have entered into a joint venture to produce sweet potato fries in a 106,000-sq.-ft. facility in Burgaw, N.C.

Kalera has purchased a facility in St. Paul, Minn., where it will grow and produce lettuce for retailers and restaurants.

Stir Foods, Lancaster, Penn., is investing $5 million in additional production equipment to make specialty sauces.

Mom’s Meals, which makes refrigerated home-delivered meals in Oklahoma City, will build a 200,000-sq.-ft. prep kitchen, which will create 125 jobs.

Porter Road plans a 28,000-sq.-ft. processing facility in Princeton, Ky. to expand its butcher, processing and direct-to-consumer operations, creating 80 jobs.

Richardson International Limited is announcing a significant investment in its canola crush plant in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. In addition to doubling its processing capacity to 2.2 million metric tonnes, the project will optimize operational efficiencies and modernize the facility to meet an ever-growing global demand for canola oil and canola meal products. Construction begins immediately with no disruption to current operations and is expected to be completed in early 2024.

Anchor Packaging broke ground on a new 90,000-sq.-ft. expansion of its Paragould, Ark. facility. The expansion is valued at $21.5 million, and will create 45 new jobs and make plastic containers.