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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Fair Oaks Foods Plans Davenport, Iowa, Production Facility

06/29/2022
Fair Oaks Foods will construct a new 150,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art food production facility at the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center in Davenport, Iowa. The $134 million project is expected to create 247 jobs.

Pending state and local project approvals the facility will be an expansion of the company’s current capabilities and produce fully-cooked bacon. Construction is anticipated to begin this summer on a 32-acre site near Interstate 80. Operations are planned for early 2024.

“I am extremely excited to expand our business to the great city of Davenport. We look forward to a long-standing relationship with the QC community, the City and the State of Iowa. My dream is to build a long-standing ‘Legacy’ family business. The opportunity that the city has extended to us is the right fit, at the right time, for Fair Oaks Foods. It will be a great opportunity for our people to live and thrive in this region. We look forward to providing new jobs and opportunities for the community. Davenport is a great place for families, and I am proud to add the Fair Oaks Foods family to the state of Iowa,” said Michael L. Thompson, CEO & President of Fair Oaks Foods.

The Davenport City Council is expected to vote on a resolution of support and financial commitment. If approved, the City would provide a 60% Tax Increment Finance (TIF) rebate to the company for 15 years, minus $1.1 million for the upfront cost of a pretreatment facility.

Fair Oaks Foods has also applied for a $3.4 million sales tax refund on construction materials from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). The City plans to apply for a Revitalizing Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) grant to assist with road improvements near the facility.

“Fair Oaks Foods prides itself on the relationships that it holds. We continue to build our Legacy through strategic partnerships that share our values of trust and integrity. This was one of the main pillars when we chose The Austin Company to guide us in our search for a location to support our growth. The search started with over 177 sites in the Midwest and ended in Davenport. This is a community that mirrors our values and work ethic, and we are excited to make Davenport home to our future growth,” said Joseph M. Freda, COO of Fair Oaks Foods.

Fair Oaks Foods, headquartered in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, is a family-owned meat processing company and the 11th largest Black-owned business in the U.S. Founded in 1985, it produces and supplies a variety of protein products, including bacon, meatballs, pork and turkey sausage to food service, national grocery stores and quick-serve restaurants globally.

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