Major Food Production Center & Cold Storage Facility to Open in Missouri
- January 23, 2023
West Liberty Foods, a leading protein processor, is opening a new food production facility in Kansas City, Missouri, attached to a supporting cold storage facility to be developed by Vertical Cold Storage. The companies are expected to invest a combined $199.6 million and create 583 jobs in the region.
“Missouri is home to nearly 400 food companies, and we are excited to welcome West Liberty Foods and Vertical Cold Storage to our state’s robust food and agricultural network,” said Governor Mike Parson. “When a company selects Missouri for a new facility, we understand it’s a major decision, and we are committed to their success in our state. We are looking forward to watching these two companies grow right here in Missouri.”
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand our signature protein offerings with our new premade grab-and-go sandwich program,” said Brandon Achen, CEO of West Liberty Foods. “Based on its proximity to key stakeholders for the project, Kansas City is the ideal location to house our newest technology, and we look forward to the growth this area has to offer.”
The new facility will support the production of West Liberty Foods’ new grab-and-go sandwiches. West Liberty Foods is one of North America’s top 50 protein processors, producing nearly 650 million pounds of food product each year for grocery stores and restaurants across the U.S. The new 327,000 sq. ft. Kansas City facility represents the company’s first expansion into Missouri.
“Food production is one of the most active sectors in Missouri, and our strengths in food and agriculture are a huge advantage for growing companies like West Liberty Foods and Vertical Cold Storage,” said Subash Alias, CEO of Missouri Partnership. “These two businesses are industry leaders, and our state has the workforce, infrastructure and business innovation to support them as they continue to grow their successful companies.”
The new cold storage facility will be operated by Vertical Cold Storage, which provides comprehensive cold storage services for frozen and refrigerated foods. It will be the company’s sixth location nationwide.
“More than 675 industrial food and beverage companies call the KC region home, thanks to our proximity to key agriculture markets, advanced logistics infrastructure and strong industry-specific talent pipeline,” said Chris Gutierrez, President of KC SmartPort, an affiliate of the Kansas City Area Development Council. “With nearly 27,000 people employed in the food and beverage industry and a robust network of industrial assets, Kansas City can support leading companies like West Liberty Foods and Vertical Cold Storage with the resources they need to thrive.”
The new facilities will be located at the I-49 Industrial Center, which was developed in partnership with Port KC.
About West Liberty Foods
Founded in 1996 under the guiding principles of the Iowa Turkey Growers Cooperative and recognized as one of the top 50 protein processors in North America, West Liberty Foods is a food company who manufactures signature meat and poultry products that can be found in well-known grocery stores and top restaurant chains nationwide. For more information, please visit www.wlfoods.com.
About Vertical Cold Storage
Vertical Cold Storage is a full-service logistics solution provider focused on building, developing and operating temperature-controlled facilities. Vertical Cold emphasizes customer care and the satisfaction of supply chain professionals while deploying industry-leading technology. More information is available at www.verticalcold.com.
About Missouri Partnership
Missouri Partnership is a public-private economic development organization focused on attracting new jobs and investment to the state and promoting Missouri’s business strengths. Since 2008, Missouri Partnership has worked with partners statewide to attract companies that have created 32,000+ new jobs, $1.6 billion+ in new annual payroll, and $6.1 billion+ in new capital investment. Some recent successful projects that led to major investment in Missouri include Accenture Federal Services LLC, American Foods Group, Casey’s, Chewy, Inc., James Hardie, Meta, Swift Prepared Foods, URBN, USDA, and Veterans United.