Dive Brief:
- After an extensive site search process, Cargill has decided to keep its protein business headquarters in Wichita, KS, to be built on a yet-to-be-determined site.
- Cargill officials reviewed locations in the Midwest before deciding to remain in Wichita.
- The final decision is dependent upon approval by the city. The relocation should be complete by 2018.
Dive Insight:
Among Cargill's recent investments supporting its protein business are a nearly $50 million distribution center at its Dodge City, Kan., beef processing plant; and an $111 million plant conversion for cooked meat products at its Columbus, Neb., facility.
Earlier this year, Cargill announced its acquisition of the FPL Food LLC ground beef processing plant in Columbia, SC.
USDA data predicts that Americans will eat 54.3 pounds of red meat this year, a nearly half-pound increase over 2015. That's the first increase in red meat consumption in the U.S. since 2006.