REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- Smithfield Foods has announced they will build a new state-of-the-art packaged meats and fresh pork processing facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The new facility will replace Smithfield's existing 100-plus-year-old plant located in a different area of the city.

Bill Even, South Dakota commissioner of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, said in a statement Smithfield has been a partner in South Dakota's economy for over 100 years. He explained the generational value the company has provided for hog producers for many years. "That value they have provided to agriculture, but also the value in the payroll and the jobs that have helped build Sioux Falls and the surrounding region communities," he said.

The current facility is the second largest in the Smithfield company, which processes more than 20,000 hogs per day sourced from area hog farmers. More than 3,200 employees have jobs at the plant. The proposed plant will continue to provide a workplace for those employees.

"When you look at what they've done for our state and for a state to rely on a company that long, I think it's really significant," said South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden. "Ag is king in South Dakota, so when agriculture succeeds our whole economy succeeds."

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW PLANT

Shane Smith, president and CEO of Smithfield Foods made the announcement during a press conference in Sioux Falls Monday. "Smithfield and John Morrell have been an integral part of the Sioux Falls community for more than 100 years," he said. "We have made numerous investments and upgrades to our Sioux Falls facility over the years, and it has served us well."

Smith said to grow the business and properly use emerging technologies, the company would have to make significant changes to the aged facility. After evaluating the options, Smithfield decided to make a significant investment of up to $1.3 billion, in a new facility in northwestern Sioux Falls.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with the facility ready to use by the end of 2028. The new plant will be the largest combined packaged meat and fresh pork processing facility Smithfield owns, being 1.1 million square feet in size.

"This is also a generational investment in the future of American agriculture that will support thousands of direct and indirect jobs in Sioux Falls as well as the many independent hog farmers, corn and soybean producers, and other agricultural sectors that fuel the pork supply chain in South Dakota and in the surrounding region," Smith said.

Smithfield Foods expects to do business in the Sioux Falls area for many years to come with this new investment.

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

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