By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
An agri-business company plans to build a 160,000 square foot facility in south St. Joseph, investing $22 million in the community.
The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce has announced Nortian Foodtech will acquire a 24-acre tract of heavy industrial land owned by the City of St. Joseph. The new production facility will be located at 2202 Alabama St. in the Stockyards Industrial Park.
Nortian converts by-products from the meat industry—materials that are often discarded—into high-quality food-grade protein, according to the Chamber. The company expects to hire nearly 140 workers by the end of five years of operations.
“We are proud Nortian Foodtech chose Missouri and St. Joseph for its first U.S. location,” Gov. Mike Kehoe said in a written statement released by the St. Joseph Chamber. “The company’s decision to invest and grow in Missouri is testament to our strong manufacturing industry and skilled workforce.”
The company is taking advantage of the incentives offered by the Chapter 100 program, Missouri Works, the Buchanan County Economic Development Forgivable Loan program. It also will receive breaks on its utility bills from Evergy, Spire Gas, and Missouri American Water Company.
Talks began with the company last summer.
“We are very pleased to have Nortian Foodtech select St. Joseph for its first U.S. location,” St. Joseph President Natalie Hawn said in a written statement. “Nortian Foodtech will provide an innovative and quality product for the food industry. We appreciate the confidence of the company’s leadership team to select and invest in St. Joseph and in Missouri.”
Andre Albuquerque, Founder and CEO of Nortian, also issued a written statement: “St. Joseph is the ideal location for Nortian Foodtech’s first U.S. facility. This investment strengthens our mission to transform by-products into high-value food ingredients through cutting-edge technology. We appreciate the support from local and state partners and look forward to creating jobs and driving innovation in the region.”
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