New St. Joseph facility expansion increases bacon production capacity, introduces advanced automation and is expected to create up to 150 jobs while supporting growth in retail and food service markets.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Daily’s Premium Meats, jointly owned by Seaboard Foods and Triumph Foods, has announced the opening of its expanded bacon processing facility in St. Joseph, Missouri. The $100 million investment increases production capacity, introduces advanced processing technology and positions the company for continued growth in the U.S. bacon market.
The expansion strengthens Seaboard Foods’ ability to meet growing customer demand for bacon products across food service and retail channels, including Daily’s Premium Meats and Prairie Fresh branded products.
Daily’s Premium Meats produces bacon marketed and sold by Seaboard Foods under the Daily’s Premium Meats food service brand and the Prairie Fresh and Daily’s retail brands.
$100 Million Investment Expands Bacon Production Capacity
The newly expanded St. Joseph facility includes four highly automated production lines, with infrastructure designed to accommodate two additional lines as demand increases. The project also adds new smokehouse capacity, advanced slicing and packaging equipment, and enhanced bacon bits production capabilities.
A new retail slicing line incorporates weight-controlled slicing technology designed to achieve precise target weights, improve portion accuracy and reduce product giveaway.
The expansion also introduces a high-speed stack pack line, allowing the facility to accommodate additional packaging formats, product varieties and customer specifications.
Advanced processing, packaging and inspection systems are expected to improve operational efficiency, product consistency, food safety and supply reliability while reducing product handling.
The investment is also expected to create approximately 100 new jobs initially, with employment associated with the expansion projected to reach approximately 150 positions once fully operational.
“This expansion represents a significant investment in the future of Daily’s Premium Meats and reflects the dedication of our team in St. Joseph,” said Joe Richmond, vice president and general manager of Daily’s Premium Meats. “The additional capacity, advanced technology and production flexibility strengthen our ability to consistently deliver the quality, food safety and operational excellence our customers expect while creating a strong foundation for future growth.”
U.S. Bacon Market Continues to Drive Demand
Bacon remains one of the most popular pork products among American consumers, creating opportunities for continued growth in both retail grocery stores and food service operations.
According to figures provided in the company’s announcement, retail pork bacon accounts for approximately $6.6 billion in annual U.S. sales, representing roughly 1 billion pounds sold each year.
Food service accounts for an estimated 1.6 billion pounds of bacon annually.
The expanded facility will allow Seaboard Foods to strengthen its supply of Daily’s bacon products for restaurants, food service operators and other commercial customers while supporting the continued expansion of Prairie Fresh bacon products in grocery stores.
As a newer participant in the retail bacon category, Prairie Fresh is working to increase its retail presence and introduce additional consumers to its bacon offerings.
The increased production capacity also provides greater flexibility to develop new products and accommodate customer-specific requirements.
New Bacon Bits Production Line Expected to Begin Operations in 2027
One of the major additions to the St. Joseph facility is a fully integrated bacon bits production line, expected to begin operations in early 2027.
The new production capability will allow Daily’s Premium Meats to manufacture bacon bits through an integrated processing and packaging system designed to improve efficiency, consistency and product quality.
The addition creates new opportunities to supply food manufacturers, restaurants, food service businesses and retailers with value-added bacon ingredients.
The investment also reflects changing consumer purchasing habits and increased demand for convenient meal preparation products.
According to consumer figures cited in the announcement, 67% of American households now report purchasing value-added meat products, compared with 37% a decade ago.
As consumers seek convenient ingredients, additional flavor options and meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, the company sees opportunities to expand its portfolio of ready-to-use bacon products.
Seaboard Foods Positions Bacon Business for Long-Term Growth
The expansion represents a long-term investment in Daily’s Premium Meats and Seaboard Foods’ branded pork business.
In addition to meeting current production needs, the St. Joseph facility was designed with space and infrastructure to accommodate future equipment installations, additional production lines and new product development.
“The expanded facility gives us greater capacity and flexibility to serve our customers with the high-quality Daily’s and Prairie Fresh bacon products they trust,” said David Bray, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Seaboard Foods. “It strengthens our ability to provide reliable supply, support growth with food service operators and continue growing the Prairie Fresh bacon business at retail. We’re excited about the opportunities this investment creates to bring innovative bacon solutions to market and help our customers grow.”
The additional production capabilities strengthen the company’s ability to serve food service and retail customers while creating opportunities for continued innovation in bacon products.
About Daily’s Premium Meats
Founded in 1893 by John R. Daily, Daily’s Premium Meats has more than 130 years of experience producing bacon products.
The company operates bacon processing facilities in St. Joseph, Missouri; Missoula, Montana; and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Jointly owned by Seaboard Foods and Triumph Foods, Daily’s Premium Meats produces bacon marketed and sold by Seaboard Foods through its Daily’s Premium Meats food service brand and the Daily’s Premium Meats and Prairie Fresh retail brands.
For more information, visit Daily’s Premium Meats or Prairie Fresh.
