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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

West Liberty Foods Establishes Kansas City, Missouri, Food Processing Center

01/26/2023
West Liberty Foods, a leading protein processor, and Vertical Cold Storage plan to open a food processing center and cold storage facility in Kansas City, Missouri. The $199.6 million project is expected to create 583 jobs.

Located at the I-49 Logistics Center, the two facilities will be directly connected and support the production of grab-and-go sandwiches.

“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.

For this expansion, West Liberty Foods will benefit from the Missouri Works program, a tool that helps companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholdings or tax credits for job creation. The company is also receiving assistance from Missouri One Start, a division of the Department of Economic Development. Missouri One Start assists eligible businesses with their recruitment and training needs.

“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,” noted 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.”

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.

“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,” added 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.”

Vertical Cold Storage is an industry leader in delivering reliable, flexible, and cost-effective cold storage and logistics solutions for the food and beverage industry.

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