American Foods Group LLC (AFG) is opening a new state-of-the-art beef processing facility in Warren County, Missouri. The company broke ground at the site near Wright City – marking the beginning of a project expected to generate $1 billion in annual economic impact in the state of Missouri.

"As a third-generation farmer and cattleman myself, I am proud to welcome AFG to Missouri. This is a major development that will benefit Missouri's agricultural producers and consumers for years to come," said Gov. Mike Parson. "With 94 billion dollars contributed to our economy annually, we appreciate that agriculture is our number one industry. AFG's investment in Missouri further signals to the nation and world what we've known all along – that Missouri is the best place for companies to grow and expand. We couldn't be more excited for AFG's expansion in Missouri."

"Today marks the start of our future in Warren County, Missouri, the addition of industry-needed hook space and fulfilling the needs of our customers, partners, and consumers for beef demand," said Steve Van Lannen, president and chief operating officer of American Foods Group.

AFG is investing $800 million in the new 775,000-square-foot facility. The company plans to create more than 1,300 new jobs in the region with an annual payroll of approximately $80 million.

"Warren County has a strong heritage in agriculture, and today, we get to celebrate the opportunity to build on that heritage with American Foods Group," said Steve Etcher of the Greater Warren County Economic Development Council (EDC). "I am impressed with the Rosen family and company leadership and how they embrace their employees as family, invest in their communities and strive to be a valued corporate partner. This is exactly the type of company the EDC envisioned when they launched their mission 10 years ago to attract new businesses to Warren County that will provide good paying jobs for the residents of our community."

"As highlighted in the STL 2030 Jobs Plan, our region's agricultural assets have long served as an economic engine. American Foods Group's facility will bolster the economy for local farmers and agriculture businesses," said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis Inc. "The family-owned company complements our already thriving agricultural and ag tech strengths and their investment in good-paying jobs in Warren County will benefit our metro for years to come. This win – following a multistate and metro search – also underscores that St. Louis can go head-to-head with any other region on the merits."

AFG is family-owned and employs more than 4,500 across the U.S. The company evaluated multiple locations for its newest facility, where they plan to process 2,400 cattle per day.

"When AFG first approached our team about this project via the Harvest Group, we knew it would be extremely competitive. However, we were confident Missouri's history in food processing, strengths in agriculture and our central location would help us win AFG for our state," said Subash Alias, CEO of Missouri Partnership. "AFG is a leading beef processing company with an impeccable reputation. I'm looking forward to watching them grow here in Missouri."

The company plans to be fully operational by the end of 2024.

—From a Missouri Partnership news release