An investment of approximately $300 million in Waseca,
Minn. facility will modernize production
capabilities
CHICAGO, June 29,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:
CAG), one of North America's
leading branded food companies, today announced the opening of its
new state-of-the-art vegetable processing plant in Waseca, Minn. The new 245,000 square foot
facility, which processes fresh vegetables to support Conagra's
frozen meals business and Birds Eye brand, was built from the
ground up with a focus on maximizing automation to create greater
efficiencies and enhancing food safety throughout.
"The significant investment in our new facility in Waseca is indicative of the strong opportunity
we see in our frozen foods business," said Sean Connolly, president and chief executive
officer, Conagra Brands. "Conagra is committed to investing in
innovation across the company, including our supply chain. We are
also pleased to make the investment in Waseca where Birds Eye has a long
history."
The peas and corn processed at the new facility come from a
network of nearby growers who use a variety of actions to help
fight climate change, such as smart practices to save water,
support biodiversity and improve soil health. Conagra has invested
in technology in the fields to monitor the plants' nutrient needs
using real-time data. This allows harvesting to sync with the
facility's production schedule, so that the vegetables are picked
at peak ripeness and transported directly to the new Waseca facility where they are received,
washed and frozen within a few hours.
"Our teams looked at every aspect of the facility to identify
automation opportunities to improve productivity and modernize food
safety practices throughout our operations," said Ale Eboli,
executive vice president and chief supply chain officer at Conagra
Brands. "The state-of-the-art design and uniquely designed
equipment featured in the facility process fresh vegetables in the
most efficient and responsible way possible."
The new facility replaces a 92-year-old facility in Waseca and will provide approximately 20% more
capacity for processing vegetables. On an annual basis, the
facility can process and produce 120 million pounds of cut and cob
corn, 45 million pounds of peas, and more than 20 million pounds of
rice. In addition, Conagra anticipates the new facility uses
approximately 25% less water per pound of product produced than the
company's previous facility.
In fiscal year 2021, Conagra's Birds Eye brand generated more
than $1.5 billion in retail sales.
For more information on Conagra Brands, including innovation from
the company's roster of iconic and emerging brands, visit
conagrabrands.com.
About Conagra Brands
Conagra Brands, Inc.
(NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food
companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra
Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a
sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving
to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's
iconic brands, such as Birds Eye®, Duncan Hines®, Healthy
Choice®, Marie Callender's®, Reddi-wip®,
and Slim Jim®, as well as emerging brands, including
Angie's® BOOMCHICKAPOP®, Duke's®, Earth
Balance®, Gardein®, and Frontera®, offer
choices for every occasion. For more information, visit
www.conagrabrands.com.
For all media inquiries, please contact:
Tim Wrona
Conagra Brands
(312) 549-5400
Tim.wrona@conagra.com
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SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc.