Plant of the Year FOOD ENGINEERING honors the most innovative new food or beverage plant built in North America each year. The automation strategy, processing and packaging line design, and supply chain management plan of each plant project submitted are reviewed.

Do you have what it takes to be PLANT of the YEAR? NOMINATE A PLANT NOW!

]]> https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/rss/2637 en-us FOOD ENGINEERING Names 2026 Plant of the Year CJ Schwan’s partnered with Burns & McDonnell to design and build a 400,000-sq.-ft. greenfield pizza manufacturing facility and 140,000-sq.-ft., fully automated distribution center with independent utility systems.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103495 Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103495-food-engineering-names-2026-plant-of-the-year-winner CJ Schwans pizza plant CJ Schwan's has opened a 400,000-sq.-ft. pizza manufacturing facility in Salina, Kansas. The facility, along with its 140,000-sq.-ft. distribution center, has been named FOOD ENGINEERING's 2026 Plant of the Year. CJ Schwans Distribution Center CJ Schwan's 140,000-sq.-ft. distribution center serves as a hub for not only all Salina operations but also as a key logistical central point for all CJ Schwan’s manufacturing operations across the country. FOOD ENGINEERING Accepting 2026 Plant of the Year Award Submissions Eligible facilities need to have been completed between Oct. 1, 2024 and Sept. 30, 2025.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103026 Wed, 14 May 2025 07:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/103026-food-engineering-accepting-2026-plant-of-the-year-award-submissions Sweet Success: How Carolina Foods Drives Growth with Automation Thompsona@bnpmedia.com (Alyse Thompson-Richards) Designed to improve upon the limitations at its original bakery, Carolina Foods’ new facility is FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2025 Plant of the Year.


]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102950 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102950-sweet-success-how-carolina-foods-drives-growth-with-automation FOOD ENGINEERING Announces 2025 Plant of the Year Award Winner The new facility adds 425,000 sq. ft. to Carolina Foods’ previously existing 100,000 sq. ft. of operations creating baked goods such as Duchess Honey Buns, donuts, pastries and pies.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102789 Wed, 15 Jan 2025 14:45:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102789-food-engineering-announces-2025-plant-of-the-year-award-winner There Was Plenty to See at FA&M 2024 Even though there were only six months in between iterations, FA&M still delivered on the networking and educational content.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102155 Fri, 17 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/102155-there-was-plenty-to-see-at-fa-and-m-2024 Taking Old-World Processes Into the New World The JBS Principe facility is FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2024 Plant of the Year for its daring modern take on traditional Italian-style dried meat production.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101966 Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101966-taking-old-world-processes-into-the-new-world FOOD ENGINEERING Announces 2024 Plant of the Year Award Winner The plant will be featured in the April cover story, and the award will be presented at the annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101851 Fri, 02 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101851-food-engineering-announces-2024-plant-of-the-year-award-winner Food Plant Update A former staple of FOOD ENGINEERING is getting updated as an eNewsletter.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101656 Fri, 03 Nov 2023 11:00:57 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101656-food-plant-update FOOD ENGINEERING Announces Opening of 2024 Plant of the Year/Sustainable Plant of the Year Submissions Plant of the Year entrants are automatically entered into the Sustainable Plant of the Year competition. All entries are due by December 29, 2023.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101588 Thu, 12 Oct 2023 12:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101588-food-engineering-announces-opening-of-2024-plant-of-the-year-sustainable-plant-of-the-year-submissions Improving Safety and Welfare to Improve Business Construction projects, like stories, tend to follow a regular, logical progression. Delivery systems vary, but they all typically start with a client’s need, selecting a project team, site visits, design meetings, groundbreaking and so on—but in the case of Hatfield North, the project began with the smokehouses.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101035 Fri, 14 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/101035-improving-safety-and-welfare-to-improve-business FOOD ENGINEERING Magazine Announces Plant of the Year and Sustainable Plant of the Year Award Winners Two expansion projects have earned this year’s honors, with the awards to be presented at the Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo in October.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/100871 Thu, 16 Feb 2023 12:37:54 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/100871-food-engineering-magazine-announces-plant-of-the-year-and-sustainable-plant-of-the-year-award-winners Submit your entries for Food Engineering's 2023 Plant of the Year award We are now accepting entries for the 2023 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award. Submissions are due Tuesday, January 31, and eligible facilities need to have been completed in 2022 and opened by January 31, 2023.


]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/100744 Wed, 21 Dec 2022 00:00:20 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/100744-submit-your-entries-for-food-engineerings-2023-plant-of-the-year-award poy-newest.jpg 2022 Plant of the Year: Bell & Evans costam@bnpmedia.com (Michael Costa) Bell & Evans earned our 2022 award by establishing a new benchmark for innovation and efficiency in a poultry plant, while elevating employee and animal welfare.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/100426 Mon, 01 Aug 2022 06:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/100426-2022-plant-of-the-year-bell-and-evans Submit your entries for Food Engineering's 2022 Plant of the Year award We are now accepting entries for the 2022 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award. Submissions are due Friday, March 4, and eligible facilities need to have been completed in 2021 and opened by January 31, 2022.


]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99998 Wed, 19 Jan 2022 14:38:20 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99998-submit-your-entries-for-food-engineerings-2022-plant-of-the-year-award poy-newest.jpg Submit your entries for Food Engineering's 2022 Plant of the Year award We are now accepting entries for the 2022 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award. Submissions are due Friday, March 4, and eligible facilities need to have been completed in 2021 and opened by January 31, 2022.


]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99856 Wed, 19 Jan 2022 12:44:54 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99856-submit-your-entries-for-food-engineerings-2022-plant-of-the-year-award poy-newest.jpg Keurig Dr Pepper Earns the 2021 Food Engineering Plant of the Year Award Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99573 Mon, 02 Aug 2021 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99573-keurig-dr-pepper-earns-the-2021-food-engineering-plant-of-the-year-award FE August 2021 Plant of the Year: Keurig Dr Pepper Facility Keurig Dr Pepper was named winner of the 2021 Food Engineering Plant of the Year for its production facility and regional distribution center in Allentown, Pa. Photos courtesy of Keurig Dr Pepper FE August 2021 Keurig Dr Pepper facility Screen Shot of video FE August 2021 Keurig Dr Pepper facility Screen Shot of conveyor Keurig Dr Pepper wins 2021 Plant of the Year Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) Keurig Dr Pepper’s 1.5-million-sq.-ft. production facility and distribution center in Allentown, Pa., has been named the 2021 Food Engineering Plant of the Year. Cuisine Solutions was named winner of the 2021 Sustainable Plant of the Year for its plant in San Antonio.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99342 Mon, 15 Feb 2021 11:21:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99342-keurig-dr-pepper-wins-2021-plant-of-the-year Submissions open for Food Engineering's 2021 Plant of the Year award Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) Submissions for the 2021 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award are now open.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99156 Mon, 19 Oct 2020 11:58:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/99156-submissions-open-for-food-engineerings-2021-plant-of-the-year-award ​J.M. Smucker wins 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year​ Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98804 Mon, 13 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98804-jm-smucker-wins-2020-food-engineering-plant-of-the-year Smucker's Longmont, Colorado plant The J.M. Smucker Company’s focus on learning from experience helped it earn the 2020 Plant of the Year award for its Longmont, Colo., facility. Exterior photos courtesy of Joel Eden/Joel Eden Photography Uncrustables sandwiches Sandwiches are filled and the edges crimped before they go into packaging and freezing. Interior photos courtesy of The J.M. Smucker Company ingredient pallets Ingredients such as gluten and salt are stored on pallets and loaded as necessary.Interior photos courtesy of The J.M. Smucker Company finished sandwiches conveyed to spiral freezer Finished sandwiches are individually wrapped and conveyed to a spiral freezer.Interior photos courtesy of The J.M. Smucker Company Uncrustables packaging Because the sandwiches are individually wrapped, ingredient and nutrition information is printed on each wrapper. Interior photos courtesy of The J.M. Smucker Company Smuckers plant aerial view An aerial view of The J.M. Smucker Company’s Longmont, Colo. plant. Photo courtesy of Dennis Group storage silos A close-up look at the storage silos for ingredients that are brought in by truck. Image courtesy of Joel Eden/Joel Eden Photography Smucker's plant unloading area The unloading area for trucked-in ingredients. Image courtesy of Joel Eden/Joel Eden Photography J.M. Smucker wins 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) J.M. Smucker’s Longmont, Colo. production facility has been named the 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98661 Tue, 07 Jan 2020 13:30:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98661-jm-smucker-wins-2020-food-engineering-plant-of-the-year One week left to submit for the 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) Submissions are now open for the 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98484 Mon, 09 Sep 2019 09:44:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98484-submissions-are-open-for-the-2020-food-engineering-plant-of-the-year-award Adaptability and flexibility are critical components of project planning Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98236 Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98236-adaptability-and-flexibility-are-critical-components-of-project-planning Plant of the Year 2019: Valley Milk's new facility aids vertical integration Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98209 Thu, 28 Mar 2019 14:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98209-plant-of-the-year-2019-valley-milks-new-facility-aids-vertical-integration Valley Milk's California plant Valley Milk LLC, a Turlock, Calif.-based milk powder processor, has been named the 2019 Food Engineering Plant of the Year. The facility pushes the envelope in every possible area while complying with California energy, water and seismic standards. All photos courtesy of Daniel Blue Photography unloading bay Instead of three unloading bays with 3-inch hoses, the facility uses two unloading bays with a 6-inch hose. Because the hose is too heavy for one person to attach, detach and move easily, Shambaugh & Son designed a swing arm that allows one operator to position the hose and keeps it off the ground without typically used supports. unloading bay The two bays allow the facility to unload 50 tankers every 24 hours. The tankers come from the 16 dairies owned by Valley Milk’s founding families, all within 40 miles of the facility. equipment design Equipment in the plant is anchored to stainless steel plates attached to the floor. Because the equipment isn’t directly attached to the floor, the space allows for water to flow freely instead of ponding. utility lines Utility lines throughout the plant are run inside pipes that extend through a walkable ceiling, keeping the horizontal surfaces out of process areas. Utilities drop down to the point of use, eliminating potential areas for material to build up. stair treads Stairs and platforms throughout the plant are designed with stand-offs to eliminate long continuous welds or sealant joints. Stair treads allow washdown water to flow freely. Valley Milk LLC wins the 2019 Food Engineering Plant of the Year Laughmanc@bnpmedia.com (Casey Laughman) Valley Milk LLC has been named the winner of the 2019 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award for its new milk powder manufacturing facility in Turlock, Calif.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98007 Mon, 07 Jan 2019 17:09:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/98007-valley-milk-llc-wins-the-2019-food-engineering-plant-of-the-year Inside the 2018 Food Plant of the Year: Kraft Heinz schugd@bnpmedia.com (Debra Schug) http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/97404 Mon, 09 Apr 2018 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/97404-inside-the-2018-food-plant-of-the-year-kraft-heinz employees on packaging line Employees check for correct placement of the meat to ensure each packaging will have a proper seal. All photos courtesy of Vito Palmisano Kraft Heinz food processing plant The greenfield 382,000-sq.-ft. Kraft Heinz facility, completed by Gray Construction, is located on 70 acres in Davenport, Iowa. Plant Manager Rob Cubbage Plant Manager Rob Cubbage points out the two separate entrances for people and product separation between the raw and cooked sides. raw materials in refrigerated storage area When shipped to the plant, raw materials are received into the refrigerated storage area. turkey in injector After the turkey breasts are injected, they are macerated, with the muscle torn up to accept the flavorings and to foster protein extraction. meat transferred into tumblers The meat is vacuum transferred via two hoses into the glycol-chilled tumblers. Armor Inox thermal processing system The Armor Inox thermal processing system process is fully automated, with only a few employees supervising 22 tanks in the room. Food Engineering Plant of the Year and Sustainable Plant of the Year winners announced schugd@bnpmedia.com (Debra Schug) http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/97179 Tue, 09 Jan 2018 12:17:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/97179-food-engineering-plant-of-the-year-and-sustainable-plant-of-the-year-winners-announced Food Engineering Plant of the Year 2017: Abbott Nutrition schugd@bnpmedia.com (Debra Schug) Abbott’s plant uses state-of-the-art equipment and advanced automation for safe, quality and efficient operations.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/96588 Tue, 11 Apr 2017 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/96588-food-engineering-plant-of-the-year-2017-abbott-nutrition secondary packaging Through the use of redundant packaging equipment, filling system downtime is minimized. Source: Abbott. accumulator The Tipp City facility houses Abbott’s fastest aseptic filling machines in the world, producing 800 bottles per minute. Source: Abbott. lab complex The facility has a lab complex, where incoming, in-process, finished goods and micro testing are performed. Source: Abbott. blend tanks The blending system is comprised of a series of slurry tanks that allow continuous processing of multiple batches. Source: Abbott. wet processing The wet processing area contains aseptic surge tanks that provide critical buffer capacity between commercial sterilization and filling operations. Source: Abbott. tank farm The tank farm houses bulk chemical, ingredient and finished product tanks. Source: Abbott. raw ingredient warehouse The facility has a raw ingredient warehouse with high-efficiency flow-through racking. Source: Abbott. Plant of the Year and Sustainable Plant of the Year winners announced schugd@bnpmedia.com (Debra Schug) Food Engineering’s 2017 Plant of the Year goes to Abbott Nutrition.

]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/96390 Wed, 21 Dec 2016 15:45:00 -0500 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/96390-plant-of-the-year-and-sustainable-plant-of-the-year-winners-announced Food Plant of the Year 2016: SugarCreek brings home more than the bacon http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/95473 Fri, 08 Apr 2016 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/95473-plant-of-the-year-2016-sugarcreek-brings-home-more-than-the-bacon SugarCreek chicken production Chicken, grill marked and vacuum sealed, goes into the sous vide Armor Inox system. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. Sous vide Armor Inox line This is a view of the sous vide Armor Inox line from the observation deck at the mezzanine level. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. Operator managing meatball line An operator manages the grinding operation on the meatball line. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. On-demand steam generators Two on-demand steam generators supply process equipment with steam. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. Cisco networking cabinet One of the many Cisco networking cabinets located throughout the facility forms the backbone of the Industrial Internet of Things. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. Wi-Fi access point and hi-def camera A Cisco Wi-Fi access point in an industrialized box and a high-definition video camera are located throughout the plant in the various production halls and rooms. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. Engineers discuss cooling system requirements Engineers discuss cooling system requirements for the plant. The screens are also available in the plant to allow certain operators to make changes. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. MBBR systems MBBR systems are located at the detached wastewater treatment center. Cooling towers for the ammonia refrigeration system can be seen in the background. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. dish-washing on the sous vide line The sous vide line has a “dishwashing step” where all trays are washed before being reused. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. Controls for opening loading dock doors Controls for opening the loading dock doors are protected by pylons with breakaway joints to prevent the entire floor from being damaged, if a forklift accidentally runs into them. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. final cooking stage for meatballs Shown here is the final cooking stage for gourmet meatballs as they exit toward the cooling and packaging stages. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. Ammonia compressors Seven of 12 ammonia compressors in the refrigeration building are shown in this photo. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. Dan Sileo confers with team member Vice President, Manufacturing, Dan Sileo confers with a team member on the status of the day’s production. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography. Cisco networking control station In the foreground is one of the many Cisco networking control stations; behind is a motor control center. Photo: Ross Van Pelt, RVP Photography Food Plant of the Year 2015: Mars Chocolate is lean, green and poised for growth ]]> http://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/93728 Mon, 06 Apr 2015 11:58:00 -0400 https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/93728-plant-of-the-year-2015-mars-chocolate-is-lean-green-and-poised-for-growth