Smithfield Foods processing plant (photo/City of Sioux Falls)
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KFGO/Rusty Halverson) – Smithfield Foods, Inc., an American food company and an industry leader in value-added packaged meats and fresh pork, today announced it has initiated the approval process to build a new state-of-the-art packaged meats and fresh pork processing facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The new facility, which is subject to permitting and other regulatory and design approvals, will be built in Foundation Park, a 1,000+-acre heavy industrial park located in northwest Sioux Falls, and will replace Smithfield’s existing plant, which has played a central role in the regional economy for more than 100 years. The company currently employs 3,200 people in Sioux Falls, providing $200 million in wages annually, and supports thousands of indirect jobs in agriculture and other sectors.
Smithfield’s preliminary estimate of the proposed investment is up to $1.3 billion over the next three years. The investment is contingent on securing required permits and other regulatory approvals as well as approval of the final facility design by Smithfield’s board of directors.
The proposed combined fresh pork and packaged meats facility will be the most modern of its kind in the U.S., with highly efficient process flow, advanced automation technology and a streamlined design. The new, best-in-class facility will deliver significant efficiency gains to Smithfield’s fresh pork and high-value packaged meats operations.
If approved, Smithfield’s new state-of-the-art facility will be constructed in Foundation Park, the state’s largest industrial park, at the intersection of Interstates 29 and 90 in Sioux Falls. Site work is expected to begin at the new location in the spring of 2026 with initial groundbreaking anticipated in the first half of 2027 and production expected to begin at the end of 2028.
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