Producing more than 1.4 billion pounds of pork and turkey annually, the Prestage Farms family of companies employs more than 2,700 associates and is affiliated with more than 470 farm families across the U.S.

Depending on who is asked, Kannapolis, N.C., is most well known for being the birthplace of either Parliament-Funkadelic’s George Clinton or NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. The mind behind “Atomic Dog” and the Intimidator don’t have a whole lot in common, but one thing they do share is a legacy of turning their respective fields on their heads

When constructing its plant in McIntosh, Ala., Tate & Lyle required custom-designed distillation columns, pressure vessels and heat exchangers.

Graycor Construction Co., Oak Brook Terrace, Ill., topped out on the construction of a 628,713-square-foot high-capacity perishable distribution center for a big-box retailer.

These projects show that renovations and new facilities aren't just for the billion-dollar food and beverage processors. Small and medium-sized processors can benefit from properly scaled and engineered solutions too.

What I like about the Construction Survey is that it gives us some insights that we don't get to see too much in the rest of our reporting throughout the year.

Choosing a site for a new food or beverage plant is a complicated process, with a number of factors to evaluate and prioritize. Like a jigsaw puzzle, it's easier to start small and consider individual pieces before trying to put them all together.

Being able to adapt on the fly is great, but it's a lot easier to do when you've accounted for as many potential contingencies as possible.

A collaboration among several dairy families and nutritionists in California's Central Valley led to the construction of a milk processing facility that exceeds expectations.