An Illinois food manufacturer is pouring $38.5 million into a pasta plant in south St. Louis, a major upgrade that will ramp up production and packaging and bring jumbo-shell pasta lines online this fall.
According to reporter Hannah Wyman in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Illinois-based company is committing a total of $38.5 million to the facility. The report outlines the project timeline and notes that adding jumbo shells is a key focus of the plant’s evolving production mix.
Plant Expansion And Product Shift
The overhaul centers on new production and packaging equipment that can handle larger shell formats and increase throughput. The investment is intended to give the south-side plant more muscle as it turns out higher volumes of pasta.
Jumbo shells are a staple in both retail and foodservice kitchens, and the shift means the facility could broaden what it sends to grocery shelves and institutional buyers. The plant is positioning itself to be a go-to source for those larger formats once the new lines are up and running.
Why St. Louis
St. Louis has become a magnet for food-and-ag projects in recent years, helped by its central location, river and rail connections, and long-standing manufacturing base. Feed & Grain reports that the region has pulled in more than $1 billion in recent food- and agriculture-related investments across the bi-state area.
Local economic-development officials point to recent distribution and processing activity as proof that the region can support large food manufacturers. Greater St. Louis, Inc. highlights distribution center and plant investments that leaders say help shore up regional supply chains and bolster jobs.
The company expects the new production and packaging capabilities to be in place this fall, at which point the south St. Louis facility will begin handling jumbo-shell production. More specific information on hiring plans and construction timing is expected as the project advances.
