Manufacturing, Agriculture, Food Projects Invest $834M In Missouri

Simcote and Ostara are each investing $17 million in their new facilities, while American Food Groups is building a $800 million operation.

“Missouri is the global leader in agtech, and we are thrilled to welcome Ostara to the Missouri family,” said Subash Alias, CEO of Missouri Partnership. “Their innovation is a strategic addition to our robust agtech ecosystem, and we are delighted they will be creating 40 new jobs that will positively impact Missouri families.”

Also last month, American Foods Group, LLC (AFG) broke ground on a new state-of-the-art beef processing facility in Warren County. The $800 million project is located near Wright City and is expected to generate $1 billion in annual economic impact in Missouri. The company plans to be fully operational by the end of 2024.

American Foods Group Missouri“As a third-generation farmer and cattleman myself, I am proud to welcome AFG to Missouri. This is a major development that will benefit Missouri’s agricultural producers and consumers for years to come,” said Gov. Parson. “With $94 billion contributed to our economy annually, we appreciate that agriculture is our number one industry. AFG’s investment in Missouri further signals to the nation and world what we’ve known all along, that Missouri is the best place for companies to grow and expand. We couldn’t be more excited for AFG’s expansion in Missouri.”

“Today marks the start of our future in Warren County, Missouri, the addition of industry-needed hook space and fulfilling the needs of our customers, partners, and consumers for beef demand,” said Steve Van Lannen, President and COO of American Foods Group.

AFG plans to create more than 1,300 new jobs at the new 775,000-square-foot facility, with an annual payroll of approximately $80 million.

“Warren County has a strong heritage in agriculture, and today we get to celebrate the opportunity to build on that heritage with American Foods Group,” said Steve Etcher of the Greater Warren County Economic Development Council. “I am impressed with the Rosen family and company leadership and how they embrace their employees as family, invest in their communities, and strive to be a valued corporate partner. This is exactly the type of company the EDC envisioned when they launched their mission 10 years ago to attract new businesses to Warren County that will provide good paying jobs for the residents of our community.”

“As highlighted in the STL 2030 Jobs Plan, our region’s agricultural assets have long served as an economic engine. American Foods Group’s facility will bolster the economy for local farmers and agriculture businesses,” said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “The family-owned company complements our already thriving agricultural and agtech strengths and their investment in good-paying jobs in Warren County will benefit our metro for years to come. This win – following a multi-state and metro search — also underscores that St. Louis can go head-to-head with any other region on the merits.”

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AFG is family-owned and employs more than 4,500 across the U.S. The company evaluated multiple locations for its newest facility where it plans to process 2,400 cattle per day.

“When AFG first approached our team about this project via the Harvest Group, we knew it would be extremely competitive. However, we were confident Missouri’s history in food processing, strengths in agriculture, and our central location would help us win AFG for our state,” said Alias. “AFG is a leading beef processing company with an impeccable reputation. I’m looking forward to watching them grow here in Missouri.”