Food Processing: The Good And The Bad Of It

Two current upward trends show us how consumers are responding to both the power of plants and the power of panic with the demand for food.

By Dominique Cantelme
From the March/April 2020 Issue

The food processing industry is in the midst of what could be two temporary trends upward: a move toward plant-based proteins, and the need people feel to stockpile food in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) scare. Let’s keep optimistic that the latter is short-lived and that the need dissipates quickly.

Regarding the former, demand for meat alternatives has soared as consumers add plant-based protein to their diets for health reasons, animal welfare concerns and environmental damage from livestock farming. A few companies expanding their plant-based portfolio to join Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, include Kellogg, Tyson, JBS and Cargill.

Kellogg’s plant-based brand MorningStar Farms is launching Incogmeato, a new line of 100% plant-based protein products that look, cook and taste like meat. The products, which use non-GMO soy, will hit grocery stores this year.

Tyson also intends to extend its plant-based power. After launching meatless brand Raised & Rooted in September of last year, the company has plans for various protein forms and brands.

“Raised & Rooted is only the beginning of our plan to build the world’s leading portfolio of plant protein products,” Tyson CEO Noel White said. “Over time, we see these options as another stable protein complementing our core offerings.”

Brazilian company, JBS—the largest meat processing company in the world—also is cashing in with a new subsidiary, Planterra Foods, that will launch the OZO brand in the coming months. The product line includes non-GMO burgers and meatballs made from a blend of pea and rice protein fermented by shiitake mushrooms.

Not to be left out of the boom, Cargill, one the world’s largest privately held companies, announced it too will roll out new soy or pea protein-based patties and ground products this year. Retailers will be able to sell the products under their own labels.

Now for the latter.

With Coronavirus fears on the rise, toilet paper, cleaning products, hand sanitizer and face masks aren’t the only items on the necessity list. Consumers are stocking the cabinets, refrigerators and freezers in preparation for possible home quarantine, be it by choice or mandate. And while restaurants and other public eateries—particularly those that don’t deliver—may suffer in what we all hope is the short-term, many grocery lists have gotten a lot longer. From chicken and macaroni to bread, butter, coffee and frozen foods, supermarket shelves are emptying at a pace faster than many of us anticipated.

According to Nielsen Retail Measurement Services, U.S. sales of fruit snacks were up 12.6 percent, dried beans were up 10.1 percent and pretzels were up 9 percent in the week that ended February 22. Sales of oat milk, energy drinks, frozen fruit and water also rose.

Campbell Soup stock jumped 10 percent recently, after an uptick in product demand from both online and brick-and-mortar retailers in response to the Coronavirus. The company therefore will increase soup production in certain areas.

So while we all vacation on the couch for a bit, read on to discover some of the locations primed to help prepare whatever it is we’re biting on.

GLOUCESTER COUNTY, VA IS A PREMIER AGRIBUSINESS COMMUNITY

Gloucester County, Virginia is strategically located in the northeastern portion of Virginia’s Hampton Roads. The County’s industries have traditionally been associated with the abundant natural resources, primarily seafood, found in the area. With its advantageous location in the geographic center of the Eastern seaboard, the county is experiencing an increased diversification in manufacturing activities.

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The Gloucester Brewing Company hosts local food trucks nightly for food that pairs well with the different taps of flavored ale. (Photo: Gloucester County)

The state capital is located 59 miles to the west and Washington D.C. is 153 miles north. The Port of Hampton Roads is 45 miles south. Gloucester is located within the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News Metropolitan Statistical area (MSA).

Gloucester County offers a low cost of doing business, desirable quality of life, state of the art schools, a skilled labor force and affordable housing. The county provides a small business incentive program that includes rent assistance, property improvements, façade improvement, advertising and website development grants to new and existing businesses. In addition, Gloucester is one of 212 Opportunity Zones designated by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. The Opportunity Zone offers Federal Tax Credits to new and expanding businesses. Another incentive is the new Company Incentive Program that provides the benefits of no Virginia corporate income tax on Virginia sales, and access to the Commonwealth’s Development Opportunity Fund that provides up to $2,000 per year per new job for six years. Gloucester is one of 60 Virginia localities that is an eligible locality for this program. The Gloucester County Department of Economic Development is committed to providing these benefits and more to new and expanding businesses.

Agribusiness is one of the county’s top targeted markets for new business recruitment. There are several seafood manufacturing, food processing and forestry facilities in the county. Gloucester also is home

to the renowned Virginia Institute of Marine Science, a major marine research center conducting global research for the blue/green economy.

Whitley’s Peanut Factory has called Gloucester home for the past 30 years. The company has enjoyed the low cost of doing business in the county and attributes its success to the skilled workforce. In April of 2018, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Ms. Bettina Ring, announced that the company was expanding, creating more jobs and capital investment for county.

In December 2018, Secretary Ring traveled back to Gloucester to announce Zoll Vineyards, a new farm-to-table winery, was coming to the county. The company plans to use Virginia grow-grapes, honey and apples to produce wines, meads and ciders. The owner, Frank Zoll, plans to offer food parings to winery visitors, featuring meat, fish and produce grown on site.

Over the past year, two new craft breweries have opened, providing a variety of ale for beer lovers. That Damn Mary’s Brewing Company is a restaurant-brewery. The beer is brewed for sale in the restaurant and bar. The beer is dispensed directly from the brewery’s storage tanks. The Gloucester Brewing Company, located on Main Street, is a small brewery with a hometown atmosphere. The Gloucester Brewing Company hosts local food trucks nightly for food that pairs well with the different taps of flavored ale. Both breweries are independently owned and operated.

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Whitley’s Peanut Factory has called Gloucester County, VA home for the past 30 years. (Photo: Gloucester County)

Gloucester is pleased to be home to Canon Environmental Technologies, Inc. (CETI). Canon is the world’s largest recycling company. In 1990, Canon introduced a cartridge recycling program through its Clean Earth Campaign Program. CETI achieves zero-landfill waste by reusing parts, recycling materials and employing energy recovery. In 1996, Canon Environmental Technologies, Inc. built a 280,000-square-foot recycling plant in Gloucester. The company employees 150 people.

The county has one business park, Gloucester Business Park, with two remaining parcels ready for development. There are plans to expand the current park by mid-2020. The goal is to have at least two Tier-4 sites prepared for shovel ready tracts over the next 12-months.

Click here for more information on the community and a database with available buildings and sites. You are invited to consider Gloucester County, a premier agribusiness community, for your next site selection location.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, AR: A PRIME LOCATION FOR FOOD PROCESSING

Jefferson County, Arkansas, with its diverse manufacturing base, is strategically located in the south-central United States, and is a prime location for food processing.

The county boasts exceptional multimodal advantages, giving a company the ability to connect with suppliers and customers domestically and around the world with ease using air, river port, highway and rail transportation. Enticing local and state incentive packages are offered. Competitively priced real estate is available in two state-of-the-art industrial parks. A well-trained workforce, skilled in food processing, is available with a labor market from a seven-county radius. These are just a few of the many community features for industry.

Regarding multimodal access, the general aviation airport, Pine Bluff Regional Airport/Grider Field, is jet capable with a 6,000-foot runway complete with an Instrument Landing System. Charter services are also available. Recently, Grider Field received a $1.8M grant to upgrade its taxiway and improve safety at the airport. Work will begin in the Spring of 2020. For commercial airport needs, Jefferson County is only 42 miles south of the Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field located in Little Rock, the state’s capital city.

The Port of Pine Bluff’s 372-acre Harbor Industrial District sits on an Arkansas River slackwater harbor. The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System has a year-round, 9-foot channel. The port’s public terminal is managed by Watco Terminal & Port Services, a leading transportation and supply chain logistics company. The local terminal, a recognized Foreign Trade Zone, offers transloading, barge loading and unloading, in-transit warehousing and bulk storage.

Numerous U.S. and state highways serve the community, along with I-530, which connects to I-30 and I-40 in Little Rock. In 2017, Arkansas Department of Transportation completed reconstruction projects along I-530 in Jefferson County at a cost of $58 million. Another I-530 reconstruction project, nearing completion, is valued at $67 million. Union Pacific, the mainline rail provider, operates an electronic switching yard in the county.

Jefferson County is already home to several food processing facilities. Tyson Foods, a Fortune 500 company and one of the world’s largest food producers, has a sizeable complex in Jefferson County. Tyson is also one of the county’s largest employers, with a total of about 1,600 workers. The company has operated in Jefferson County for decades and now has three separate plants. The processing plant, focused on fresh and frozen poultry products, is located in the Jefferson Industrial Park, a 785-acre industrial neighborhood situated inside Pine Bluff city limits. The company also operates a feed mill and a protein blend plant at the port. Tyson Foods was founded in Arkansas and much of the chicken processed is grown in Arkansas by farmers who contract with Tyson.

Western Foods, a California-based company, is another food processing plant located in the Jefferson Industrial Park. Western Foods chose Jefferson County in 2017 for its second location. This company increased its gluten-free rice flour and ancient grain milling business by expanding into an existing 56,000-square-foot facility.

Jefferson County’s newest food processing plant is Cornerstone Processing. This new plant, announced in 2019, will process spent hens. Cornerstone has made noteworthy improvements to an existing facility and expects to create 150 jobs.

Among other workforce training programs, Jefferson County has launched the ACT Work Ready Communities initiative that encourages local business and industry to sign up in support of the “national framework” program that emphasizes standardized workforce skills credentials. Jefferson County currently is up to 96 percent attainment of nationally set workforce development goals.

There are two colleges in the county. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and Southeast Arkansas College (SEARK). UAPB has an annual enrollment of about 2,400 students and offers more than 30 Undergraduate programs, Master’s degree programs and a highly regarded Doctorate program in Aquaculture/Fisheries. SEARK has an annual enrollment of about 1,200 students and offers 11 technical studies programs ranging from Welding Technology to Electrical Mechanical Systems Technology to Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Technology.

Positioned as the gateway to Southeast Arkansas, Jefferson County offers investors multimodal connectivity with small-town costs and southern charm. Giving you the best of both worlds, for the price of one.

Visit our website to learn more about our county and available properties.

OSWEGO COUNTY: NEW YORK’S LEADING FOOD PROCESSING HUB

Situated in Upstate New York, Oswego County is located centrally to New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Cleveland, Toronto and Montreal. Yet, Oswego County has more to offer food processors than the logistical advantage of being within hours of every major Northeast market. Oswego County has the available industrial labor force, infrastructure, import/export capabilities and supply chain for growth in the food manufacturing sector.

A skilled workforce, with previous food processing experience, is ready to work in Oswego County. The area’s workforce is supported by over 30 institutes of higher learning and vocational training within 50 miles. Economic development partners, such as The Workforce Development Board of Oswego County and the One-Stop Career Center, create opportunities to bring workers and employers together and work with colleges and vocational schools to encourage the development of courses that enhance workers’ skills and meet the needs of employers.

Oswego County offers convenient access to Interstates 81 and 90 which provide north/south and east/west movement. Multiple carriers provide both local and long-distance trucking to and from Oswego County. Connecting lines enable transport to every major U.S. market. Local logistics companies provide transloading from truck to rail and offer myriad warehouse storage options, including dry, climate controlled and frozen.

The Port of Oswego, a deep-water port on the southeastern shore of Lake Ontario, provides a major logistical advantage to industry in Oswego County and the Central New York region, as the first port of call and hub in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System. The Port of Oswego provides on-dock rail and truck loading, making for a smooth transition of goods to market.

CSX offers daily rail transportation to Oswego County. Rail service is available throughout the County, with direct access at several sites and industrial parks. With a nearby regional switching yard, CSX provides access to more than 21,000 miles of track in 23 states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, plus 70 ocean, lake and river ports. Coupled with nationwide transloading and warehousing, CSX makes rail a very viable transportation option for Oswego County businesses.

Syracuse Hancock International Airport is within minutes of Oswego County. In addition to worldwide passenger transport, Hancock has facilities for air freight transport, which includes a 53,000-square-foot cargo building. The Oswego County Airport boasts two up-to 5,200-foot paved runways ideal for business, industry and private aviation.

Oswego County has many options for multimodal transport of raw materials, parts and products. As a designated Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), Oswego County is designed for the convenient and cost effective production of goods.

Food processing has traditionally required high quality and heavy capacities of industrial infrastructure, which is where Oswego County excels. High quality potable water and available capacity for industrial waste water treatment are available in Oswego County. Depending on your location, you could tap into nearly limitless water from Lake Ontario or access up to 10,000,000 gallons available daily from the Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA). There also are several options for water treatment, including municipal treatment and a future private treatment facility with over 5,000,000 gallons of excess capacity.

Additionally, many shovel ready sites are available in Oswego County. Within the industrial parks, all sites have utilities and other necessary infrastructure in place. Some sites within the parks have had comprehensive site profiles performed. These profiles detail the site conditions, available infrastructure and provide development options suitable for that site. They expedite the selection process by eliminating much of the due diligence work for the potential purchaser.

All of these advantages have recently enabled Oswego County to attract three growing companies that have purchased existing facilities and expanded their food processing ventures.

Champlain Valley Specialty (CVS) of NY, in the Town of Oswego, acquired the former Empire Fresh Cuts and Oswego Shippers and Growers. This established their apple processing facility closer to their suppliers and their market. CVS produces “Grab Apples” from locally grown apples that are sliced, packaged and shipped to local schools, retail markets, restaurants and their distributors.

Teti Bakery USA, Inc., is the U.S. subsidiary of Teti Bakery, based in Toronto, Canada. Teti Bakery’s acquisition, in the Town of Volney, is their first U.S. facility and is strategically located for product distribution in the Northeast and along the Atlantic coast. Teti makes Italian bread products that are sold in supermarkets and used in restaurants.

K&N’s Foods USA, LLC, acquired the former BirdsEye plant in the City of Fulton. They manufacture a wide variety of frozen valued-added Halal chicken products, under the brand license from K&N’s Foods Limited, Pakistan. This is the first North American facility for K&N’s, a popular international brand. iFreeze, a frozen food warehousing company, has co-located at the facility to meet the needs of the growing food processing sector.

Together, at full capacity, these three projects represent 480,000-square-feet of food processing space with 440 new food processing workers employed in Oswego County.

For more information about Oswego County, contact L. Michael Treadwell, Executive Director of Operation Oswego County, Inc., at (315)343-1545 or ooc@oswegocounty.org.

GET THE VIP TREATMENT IN GREATER CLINTON, IOWA

Upon arrival in the Greater Clinton Region, the feeling of optimism and potential are palpable. Economic development is a priority for the wide range of stakeholders who collaborate to get things done. Here, every company and prospect is treated like a VIP with direct and immediate access to decision makers. “Our number one priority is to accommodate our businesses’ needs regardless of their size,” said Erin M. Cole, President and CEO of the Clinton Regional Development Corporation. “In the Greater Clinton Region, each company is valued and appreciated. We go out of our way to leverage all local, state and federal resources for the benefit of our employers.”

Surrounded by corn and soybeans, this top-notch location is home to several significant companies in the food and nutrition sectors: Nestle Purina Pet Care Co., which recently celebrated 50 years in Clinton, IA, just announced a $140 million expansion in February 2020; Sethness Roquette has been in business in Clinton for over 140 years producing liquid and powder Caramel Colors for the food and beverage industry; two renewable fuel companies have asked to option land for future development; Agri-King, a leading animal nutrition company continues to innovate; and, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) produces over 30 products in Clinton, one of its largest facilities in the world. ADM also is currently implementing a $196 million project to modernize its wet mill in Clinton.

The Greater Clinton Region is a bi-state territory that straddles the Mississippi River. It offers economic opportunities in both Clinton County (Eastern Iowa) and a portion of Whiteside County (Northwest Illinois). Its prime Midwest location along U.S. Highway 30 is in close proximity to I-80 and I-88, with Chicago less than three hours away. The region is served by three Class I railroads, plus wet and dry barge transportation is available on the Mississippi River.

Companies interested in locating in the Greater Clinton Region have three business parks to choose from, plus available existing buildings. All three business parks are located within Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts. The Lincolnway Industrial Rail and Air Park (Rail Park) is a State of Iowa Certified Site for heavy industry and currently houses several innovative biofuel and manufacturing facilities. The Lyons Business and Technology Park (Lyons Tech Park) is a fast-growing site for light industrial and administrative operations. And, on the Illinois side, the Fulton Industrial Center is a prime location for both heavy and light industrial operations.

Two new businesses recently broke ground in Clinton, one in the Lyons Tech Park and the other in the Rail Park. Cole says: “We are experiencing increased interest from new businesses involved in advanced manufacturing, renewable fuels, food and beverage production and administrative operations.” Abundant available land outside of the 500-year floodplain, generous incentives and the addition of two federal “Opportunity Zones” in Clinton, IA are making it easier to entice new investment into the region.

In order to retain and attract new businesses, a community must have an adequate, reliable workforce. This is made increasingly possible by the “Home Base Iowa” program, which offers generous housing incentives to U.S. military veterans who move to Iowa. Furthermore, if a veteran moves to Clinton County, then the County offers additional tax and housing incentives, which has resulted in a 500 percent increase in military veterans settling here over the last three years. In 2019, Clinton County also launched a new student loan payback program that is residency-based and can be used as a free recruitment tool by any local employer.

Visit the Greater Clinton Region and witness all that the Midwest has to offer—hard-workers, extensive transportation options, high quality of life, low cost of living and welcoming people who genuinely care about their community. Call Clinton Regional Development Corporation at (563) 242-4536 about your project-specific questions.

VINELAND, NJ: A GREAT PLACE FOR FOOD PROCESSING OPERATIONS

Selecting the right location is a key component of any strategic business model. Companies have to look for the right blend of resources, workforce and business climate. The City of Vineland, New Jersey, offers these advantages, and more, to food production, processing and related industries looking for a place to expand or relocate. Home to some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Tyson Foods, Archer Daniels Midland, RICH Products Corporation and Hanover Foods, Vineland provides easy access to one of the most affluent markets in the world with more than 38 million consumers located within 150 miles.

Vineland offers both an affordable business location and an excellent quality of life. At over 69 square miles, it is the largest city in New Jersey, with a unique mix of both urban and rural settings. There are two thriving industrial parks, with a third being developed. Additionally, per acre land prices and labor costs here are generally lower than most other northeast locations.

“Vineland truly does stand out in terms of location and accessibility to major markets, municipal infrastructure, support services, state and local incentives and very competitive operating costs, all of which are necessary ingredients for a healthy and profitable business climate,” said Mayor Anthony Fanucci. “A strong work ethic thrives in Vineland, and employers will find a productive and stable workforce. Companies can draw from a multi-county region that includes a labor force of over 300,000, making the pool of potential manufacturing workers especially deep.”

Vineland offers a strategic location between New York and Washington, DC, and easy access to a network of major roadways, providing companies with convenient links to any destination across the country. With competitive rail service, several well-respected third-party logistics providers operating from the city and air freight service and port facilities just a short drive away, food processing companies considering Vineland as a location have cost-effective domestic and international supply chain options.

One such provider is RLS Logistics, which specializes in temperature-controlled LTL and TL transportation, warehousing, packaging and e-commerce fulfillment services. RLS can provide Vineland food processing operations both frozen and refrigerated service to all 48 contiguous states on a weekly schedule, and is an approved Third-Party Consolidator for Walmart suppliers. Nationwide, the company maintains nearly fifteen million cubic feet of cold storage capacity. Their Vineland and Newfield locations contain approximately nine million cubic feet of cold storage and over 26,000 racked pallet positions, with additional room to grow. They recently added a new dry warehouse location in Vineland to augment their service capabilities.

“These facilities are in close proximity to all major east coast ports and highways allowing us to serve international clients in a cost-effective manner, and achieve faster transit times throughout the northeast,” said Ken Johnson, RLS Executive Vice President, Warehousing Group. “All of our temperature-controlled operations are GFSI certified for storage and distribution by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and comply with all government and USDA regulations. By partnering with RLS for their logistics needs, food companies of all sizes can avoid huge capital investments in facilities and equipment, ship products faster and reduce freight costs, all while not compromising on product quality.”

“Business development is a collaborative effort,” said Vineland Economic Development Director Sandy Forosisky. “The Department of Economic Development offers ‘Business Concierge Service,’ which is designed to make expansion and relocation projects easier. We are a clearing house for information, while acting as a liaison to city government, as we help guide developers smoothly through the permitting and licensing process. Additionally, we are able to provide assistance through our successful Urban Enterprise Zone revolving loan fund when additional capital is required to move a project forward.”

Vineland food processing operations produce a variety of products, from Italian meatballs, Philly cheese steaks and European pastries; to soups, foodservice bases, stews and gravies. City officials currently are working with representatives of Rovagnati, which is based in Biassano, Italy, to bring a production and wholesale distribution facility to Vineland which would produce salami, bresaola, prosciutto and mortadella. The project’s $5 million, 64,000-square-foot first phase facility recently received site-plan approval.

“Rovagnati is a pioneer in the production of Italian specialty meats, producing some of the finest quality products in the world,” Mayor Fanucci said. “We are thrilled that they have selected Vineland to become a hub for their United States distribution. They are an extraordinary company, with a customer-centered corporate philosophy that we are proud to welcome to our community.”

However, the city’s fastest growing niche is in the processing and distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables. The newest arrival is Kopke Fruit, which recently completed construction of a $20 million, 170,000-square-foot facility on a 23-acre site. The company imports the finest fruits from all over the world for distribution throughout the United States and Canada. “Vineland is a good location for our operations because it is close to the ports of entry where all our fruit arrives,” said Kopke President and CEO Michael Myers. “The availability of lower cost electric through the city owned municipal utilities was also a critical factor because it is one of our biggest overhead items.”

“But the primary reason we made the final decision to build in Vineland was how we were treated throughout the process. All of the city departments were incredible in how they assisted us to achieve the successful roll out of our new facility. They should all be commended for the excellent work they did on our project. We see the future here as an open canvas. We want to build on our success, and look forward to many ventures with the Vineland community,” Myers said.

“When companies are making commitments and investments of this kind, it shows they have a real interest in our community. We are excited to be a partner and do all we can to help create an environment for long-term success,” Fanucci concluded.

Discover what sets Vineland apart. Its one-day access to millions of potential customers, low cost of doing business, a city government eager to help and an outstanding quality of life make Vineland an attractive place to expand your current operations or start a new enterprise. For more information, please contact City of Vineland Economic Director Sandy Forosisky at (856) 794-4100, or by e-mail at sforosisky@vinelandcity.org.

THE QUAD CITIES REGION: FEEDING THE WORLD FROM AMERICA’S HEARTLAND

Feeding the world is a big job, which is why the Food Processing industry represents the past, present and a key part of the future for the Quad Cities region’s economy.

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Boetje Foods, Inc. founded its mustard business in the Quad Cities region in 1889, where its manufacturing of its stone ground Dutch mustard has remained for 100+ years. (Photo: Quad Cities Chamber)

Led by John Deere—a global leader in agricultural equipment and machinery manufacturing—this industry is positioned to experience steady growth as the need to provide food for growing countries only stands to increase.

But it isn’t just equipment you’ll find here. Meat. Dairy. Ice cream. Spirits. Pet food. These and more are all represented in the Quad Cities region, which accounts for 16.2 percent of all regional exports.

Located in the heart of the Midwest, the Quad Cities region is a six-county bi-state area on the eastern Iowa/western Illinois border where I-80 crosses the Mississippi River. Plus, the Quad Cities region is the largest 300-mile market west of Chicago; 37 million people are located within a 300-mile radius of the Quad Cities, meaning suppliers and customers are within easy reach.

So why do companies choose the Quad Cities region?

Access to natural resources, a robust transportation network and concentrated production workforce come together for companies in the area’s Food Processing sector:

  • An abundant water supply and wastewater treatment capabilities–both present in the region—are paramount to daily operations in food manufacturing and processing; the region’s proximity to the Mississippi River is an immense competitive advantage.
  • It offers unparalleled access to major markets both nationally and internationally, being served by four interstates and over a dozen state and federal highways, three Class I railroads and 46 public and private barge terminals. This allows companies to move their goods same day to major markets like Chicago, IL; Des Moines, IA; Omaha, NE; Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, MO-KS; St. Louis, MO; and Madison, WI.
  • Employment in Agricultural Innovation in the Quad Cities is 14 times more concentrated than the average community nationwide, and the region boasts the highest assemblage of production workforce in the nation.

In addition to John Deere’s World Headquarters, some of the Quad Cities region’s key companies include:

  • ADM (Archer Daniels Midland)
  • CHS, Inc.
  • Hardi
  • Kent Corporation
  • Kraft Heinz Company
  • Maschio Gaspardo
  • Mississippi River Distilling Company
  • Bayer Crop Science
  • Nestle Purina
  • PFG Performance Food Group
  • Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc.
  • Tyson Fresh Meats
  • Whitey’s Ice Cream

Click here to learn more about how the Quad Cities region can benefit your company?