COLUMBIA, Mo., April 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Swift Prepared Foods, a leading global food company, announced today that Columbia, Missouri, has been selected for its new Italian meats and charcuterie production facility. For the past several months, the company has been working to identify the best location for the $200 million greenfield facility that was announced last August. Multiple locations were evaluated, but Columbia, Missouri, rose to the top thanks to its strategic location, business-friendly environment, and the ability to access raw material and leverage synergies with existing strategic assets.

"We're excited to welcome Swift Prepared Foods to Columbia," said Missouri Governor Mike Parson. "Missouri is a great place for the company to grow its business and develop a world-class workforce. This investment and the jobs it will create will provide many new opportunities for the mid-Missouri region, and we look forward to seeing the company succeed for years to come."

The 325,000 sq. ft. Italian meats facility will employ more than 250 people in the region.

"We are excited to join the Columbia community and to bring good-paying jobs and innovation to the area with the addition of this new, state-of-the-art facility," said Thomas Lopez, President and Chief Operating Officer, Swift Prepared Foods. "After an extensive review of potential locations, we are confident that Columbia is a great fit for our company, and this decision supports our focus on continued growth."

"This project will further solidify Columbia's standing in the food manufacturing industry, complementing other great Columbia employers like Aurora Organic Dairy, Kraft Heinz, Quaker Oats and Beyond Meat," said Brian Treece, Mayor of Columbia. "Having Swift Prepared Foods in our community will bring new living-wage jobs and career opportunities for Columbia families."

This is Swift Prepared Foods' second major recent investment in Missouri. Last year, the company announced plans to invest more than $68 million in a new ready-to-eat bacon facility in Moberly, Missouri. It's slated to open in May. Construction on the new facility in Columbia is set to begin in a few weeks, dependent upon pending project approvals and agreements.

About Missouri Partnership
Missouri Partnership is a public-private economic development organization focused on attracting new jobs and investment to the state and promoting Missouri's business strengths. Since 2007, Missouri Partnership has worked with partners statewide to attract companies that have created 27,000+ new jobs, $1.3 billion+ in new annual payroll, and $3 billion+ in new capital investment. Some recent successful projects that led to major investment in Missouri include Accenture Federal Services LLC, Amazon, Casey's General Stores, Chewy, Inc., Square, USDA, and Veterans United.

Contact:
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SOURCE Missouri Partnership