Efficiency was built into Frito-Lay’s Casa Grande plant a quarter-century ago, but the snack maker takes the facility’s energy- and water-conservation systems to a new level with near net zero.

A biogas system has transformed Stahlbush Island farms into a carbon negative operation, removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it is responsible for creating.

The facility was not only constructed with sustainability in mind, but sustainability can be found everywhere you look. 

In the past, Food Engineering’s Sustainable Plant of the Year story has focused on a single plant at one geographic location that has made significant strides in sustainability.

This year Food Engineering’s revived Sustainable Plant of the Year Award has been given to Clif Bar for its newly built bakery in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Any milk dryer operation uses a lot of energy, and when you have the biggest operation in North America, you use…a lot of energy.

MycoTechnology, a Colorado-based manufacturer of mushroom-based protein powder, wins the 2020 Food Engineering Sustainable Plant of the Year award for its commitment to sustainability in design, construction and operations.

Cuisine Solutions and Stellar earn Sustainable Plant of the Year for sous vide facility in San Antonio.

Global food manufacturer Kerry is the winner of our 2022 Sustainable Plant of the Year award for its $125 million breadcrumbs and coatings plant expansion in Rome, Georgia. 

Renovating a facility to increase its capacity, energy use and water consumption doesn’t sound like it would earn Food Engineering’s 2022 Sustainable Project of the Year, but that’s exactly what Kerry’s coatings and seasonings facility in Rome, Georgia, has done.

It only takes a few seconds after stepping into Vital Farms’ Egg Central Station (ECS) to realize that the company truly loves its egg-related puns. If there’s writing nearby, be it on a wall, memo or bulletin board, there’s a pun not far behind. They’re part of an ethos that starts from the top and flows down the company’s ranks to put a smile on someone’s face, even if just for a second. That idea of doing good extends beyond the facility walls to its other locations, the farmers who supply the eggs, the consumers who buy the product and, finally, to the planet itself. That visible commitment to the environment is why the addition at ECS was chosen as FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2023 Sustainable Plant of the Year.

Sustainability efforts at Meati Foods’ Thornton, Colorado facility match the sustainable intent of the mycelium-based products it produces.

Both awards will be presented at Food Engineering’s Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference and Expo at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, Fla. held April 8-11, 2018.

Food Engineering recognizes Kraft Heinz as its 2018 Food Plant of the Year. The first completed greenfield project for one of the largest food companies in the world results in a truly state-of-the art deli meat processing facility.

Valley Milk LLC has been named the winner of the 2019 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award for its new milk powder manufacturing facility in Turlock, Calif.

A collaboration among several dairy families and nutritionists in California's Central Valley led to the construction of a milk processing facility that exceeds expectations.

Being able to adapt on the fly is great, but it's a lot easier to do when you've accounted for as many potential contingencies as possible.

Submissions are now open for the 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year.

J.M. Smucker’s Longmont, Colo. production facility has been named the 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year.

J.M. Smucker's Longmont, Colo. facility is the 2020 Food Engineering Plant of the Year.

Submissions for the 2021 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award are now open.

Keurig Dr Pepper’s 1.5-million-sq.-ft. production facility and distribution center in Allentown, Pa., has been named the 2021 Food Engineering Plant of the Year. Cuisine Solutions was named winner of the 2021 Sustainable Plant of the Year for its plant in San Antonio.

Keurig Dr Pepper wins the 2021 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award for its production facility and regional distribution center in Allentown, Pennsylania.

We are now accepting entries for the 2022 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award. Submissions are due Friday, March 4, and eligible facilities need to have been completed in 2021 and opened by January 31, 2022.

We are now accepting entries for the 2022 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award. Submissions are due Friday, March 4, and eligible facilities need to have been completed in 2021 and opened by January 31, 2022.

Bell & Evans earned our 2022 award by establishing a new benchmark for innovation and efficiency in a poultry plant, while elevating employee and animal welfare.

We are now accepting entries for the 2023 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award. Submissions are due Tuesday, January 31, and eligible facilities need to have been completed in 2022 and opened by January 31, 2023.

Two expansion projects have earned this year’s honors, with the awards to be presented at the Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo in October.

Construction projects, like stories, tend to follow a regular, logical progression. Delivery systems vary, but they all typically start with a client’s need, selecting a project team, site visits, design meetings, groundbreaking and so on—but in the case of Hatfield North, the project began with the smokehouses.

The plant will be featured in the April cover story, and the award will be presented at the annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo.

Food Engineering's 41st annual Plant Construction Survey reveals that the ratio of the number of plant renovations and expansions versus new, greenfield projects has again risen from last year, indicating several owners and operators are trying to stay put.

Food Engineering's annual construction survey shows that tax cuts have encouraged construction and renovations, but the labor shortage is affecting those projects as well.

While we've looked at the key issues - including COVID-19 - facing food processors and A&E/Cs this year in FE's 2020 Annual Plant Construction Survey, there's a lot more to discuss.

While we've looked at the key issues - including COVID-19 - facing food processors and A&E/Cs this year in FE's 2020 Annual Plant Construction Survey, there's a lot more to discuss.

While we've looked at the key issues - including COVID-19 - facing food processors and A&E/Cs this year in FE's 2020 Annual Plant Construction Survey, there's a lot more to discuss.

Construction remains steady in the food and beverage industry, but the full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are not yet known.

Construction of new food and beverage plants continues to see a strong upward trend despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Processors are turning to automation to fill jobs where people are unavailable.

For locating facilities, operators look for geographical areas with an employable workforce and adequate logistics.

FSMA’s Intentional Adulteration rule is still a work in progress for some sites, meanwhile processors and retailers are eyeing indoor grow facilities.

This year’s plant construction survey hit the highest number of projects ever recorded.

If you’ve ever played “Whac-A-Mole” on the boardwalk or at an arcade, you can get a sense of the frustration that both food and beverage processors and architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) firms are feeling in today’s economy—fix one problem, another pops up.

Construction in the food and beverage industry is continuing, but there’s a bit of “wait and see” happening due to the presidential election occurring later this year.

Trucor Refined is a PVC-free flooring collection that combines rigid core and laminate for those who prefer an environmentally friendly, waterproof, durable and luxurious floor that is easy to install and maintain.

Retailers have a new tower display for Innovius SPC and new step displays for Encompass and Oterra laminate collections. 

Oterra features AC4 durability, painted bevel, and an emboss in register that adds to the look and feel of natural wood. 

The high-performance laminate flooring offers marble and porcelain visuals in a user-friendly, click-lock tile. 

The purchased assets include the Naturally Aged Flooring, Harris, Kraus and Heritage Mill brands in North America, as well as related inventory and associated domain names and websites.

The North American Laminate Floor Association announces its newest member, Cali. Cali is an omni-channel brand in the flooring industry. 

 Torlys Smart Laminates offer the beauty of wood, with the durability of laminate.