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Site Selection: Feast of Plenty

  • September 21, 2018

As the geographic center of the nation’s population, Missouri lies at the crossroads of America’s food and food production sectors. The Show Me State is home to nearly 100,000 farms, second-most in the nation, covering 28.3 million acres, according to a new article by the Site Selection team.

In 2016, agriculture and related industries contributed more than $88 billion in sales and more than 378,000 jobs in Missouri, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The state plays a leading role in the nation’s production of agricultural products and ranks fourth for rice acres harvested, ninth for soybean acres harvested, 10th for corn acres planted, third for beef cows and seventh for hog sales.

Missouri’s food production sector also includes nearly 400 companies, including household names such as Tyson, Kraft, Budweiser, Nestlé and Con Agra.

General Mills launched operations in the famed town of Hannibal on the Mississippi River in 2001 and today is a major jobs provider, employing about 1,000 people with an annual payroll of $80 million. A $65-million expansion of the plant, now being completed, will make it among the company’s biggest US food production facility and the sole worldwide supplier of Progresso Soup.

“The plant will continue to make Progresso Soups, Hamburger Helper, Old El Paso, and Fiber One and Nature Valley Granola bars,” the company says in a statement, adding that “General Mills is a proud member of the Hannibal community. We’re excited to continue to grow and work with our talented workforce in Hannibal.”

The Hannibal expansion was enabled through the city’s issuance of industrial development bonds to fund $7 million in property improvements and $58 million in new equipment. The investments will help the company to build a third soup line at the plant.

“I’m proud of General Mills for thinking enough of our community to put more dollars into it,” says Hal Benedict, a member of the Northeast Missouri Economic Development Council.

Check out the full article by the Site Selection team here.

For more information on Missouri’s robust food solutions industry check out our webpage, or contact Steve Johnson, CEO of Missouri Partnership, at 314.725.2688, or via our contact form, with any questions you might have, and to learn how Missouri Partnership can help with your business expansion and investment needs.

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