Food Processing Business Cluster

St. Joseph Feeds Rest Of The Country​

primed and ready hub for
the Food Processing industry

Our central location will give you an unmatched advantage due to our strength in food production labor. Here is our comparison to the national average: 

  • 29 times more employed in Flour Milling
  • 5 times more employed in Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing
  • 6 times more employed in Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing

 

St. Joseph

Top Food Processing Employers

Tyson Foods, Inc., is one of the world’s largest producers of meat and poultry, as well as a leader in hunger and disaster relief. The St. Joseph meat manufacturing facility employs 600 people and produces Ball Park Franks and deli meats.
Triumph Foods – St. Joseph was selected as the home one of the top 10 economic development projects in the nation in 2003, the Triumph Foods corporate headquarters and processing facility. Today, the food processing plant, together with the bioscience and manufacturing headquarters for Triumph Foods, employs more than 2,700 talented members of the St. Joseph area workforce and plays an active role in community enhancement projects.
Daily’s® Premium Meats, owned jointly by Triumph Foods and Seaboard Foods, sells a variety of processed pork items from signature honey cured bacon to applewood smoked bacon to naturally smoked hams to breakfast sausages. The company produces ‘naturally’ wood-smoked bacon and uses only fresh trimmed pork bellies, supplied by Triumph and Seaboard Foods, to improve bacon quality and consistency. The plant opened in 2016 and eventually employ more than 200 people.
Nor-Am Cold Storage is a full service, refrigerated warehouse. Nor-Am’s facilities offer rail loading with BNSF and UP service.
Ag Processing Inc (AGP), is a multi-faceted agribusiness engaged in the procurement, processing, marketing, and transportation of grains and grain products. Products are used for livestock feed, renewable fuels and human consumption. AGP is 184 local cooperatives representing more than 250,000 farmers throughout the Midwest, and five regional cooperatives representing farmers throughout the United States and Canada. St. Joseph is home to a major AGP processing plant.
IFF, International Flavors and Fragrances, produces and sells seasonings, taste-modulation products, antioxidants and natural colors, as well as fragrances and encapsulation products. It took over DuPont’s nutrition division, adding DuPont’s texturants, binders, proteins and emulsifiers to its products.
LifeLine Foods, located in St. Joseph, is a leading innovative company producing products for both domestic and international markets. The items produced originate from two primary business enterprises — corn-based food ingredients and ethanol. Lifeline’s business model offers the unique ability to extract maximum value from the corn kernel and capitalize on both the food and ethanol production. The 38-acre, 750,000 square foot manufacturing facility employs 131 people, meets AIB standards and is Kosher certified.
The Chase Candy Company has been making fine candies since 1876, including the world-famous Cherry Mash, the third-oldest candy bar in the country. Chase still uses time-tested recipes and the finest, freshest ingredients to make candy the old-fashioned way. Equipment has, of course, been upgraded, and the plant has the ability to make 72,000 Cherry Mash candy bars in a day.
Cereal Ingredients, Inc., is a privately held, employee-owned specialty ingredients manufacturer that was established in 1990 by Robert Hatch to research, develop and market unique, new food ingredients. The Company holds multiple worldwide product and process patents.
Bartlett, a Savage Company is a diverse, growth-oriented agribusiness. The principal businesses are grain merchandising, flour milling, and feed manufacturing. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, they have facilities and offices in 9 states and Mexico. They are more than 100 years old and still family owned and managed.
Ventura provides quality food products for foodservice, food ingredient, retail and export. The company operates multiple manufacturing, packaging and distribution locations throughout the United States including both a refinery — in partnership with the local Ag Processing, Inc. (AGP) — and a plant in St. Joseph. The plant is a fully automated facility featuring state-of-the-art equipment used in shortening, oil and margarine manufacturing.
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St. Joseph

​ Centered in the Agricultural Research Triangle - Providing Support to Food Processors

St. Joseph is situated in the Midwest’s Agricultural Research Triangle where companies, universities, researchers, and farmers team together to test and discover the most efficient and effective ways that bioscience can benefit the country. Within this triangle, at least five major universities offer special programs for those in the agricultural sciences field.

“Mecca of Manufacturing” St. Joseph ranks first in list of 'Best Places to Work in Manufacturing'

The St. Joseph metropolitan area, located in both Missouri and Kansas, has 24.74% of its workforce in manufacturing, the 18th-highest rate in the study conducted by SmartAsset.

387% Growth in Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing

  • 9 times more employed in Flour Milling​
  • 5 times more employed in Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing​
  • 6 times more employed in Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing​
  • 387% Growth in Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing

Workforce Training Designed for You​

The St. Joseph Workforce Development Alliance works with education partners to coordinate training and educational assets to meet the workforce needs of industry.

Made With Uncommon Character

“Made with Uncommon Character” simply summarizes St. Joseph. This city of more than 76,000 residents has an abundance of character, in its architecture, its residents and in its amenities. It is uncommon — from its pioneering and rebellious history, to its entrepreneurial spirit of yesterday and today.

Workforce Data

 Industry5Y Growth
Soft Drink Manufacturing644%
Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing387%
Bottled Water Manufacturing​133%
Fluid Milk Manufacturing​100%
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing​78%
All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing​55%
Ice Manufacturing​53%
Meat Processed from Carcasses​41%
Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing​40%
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing​24%
Breweries​23%
Fruit and Vegetable Canning​22%
Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing​22%
Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing​12%
Flour Milling​6%
Distilleries​6%

 

Compared to the a USA average region of the same size, St. Joseph has…

10X more employed in Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing​

9X more employed in Flour Milling​

8X more employed in Fats and Oils Refining and Blending​

6X more employed in Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing​

5X more employed in Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering​

5X more employed in Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing​

4X more employed in Meat Processed from Carcasses​

4X more employed in Other Animal Food Manufacturing​

3X more employed in Ice Manufacturing​

3X more employed in Dry Pasta, Dough, and Flour Mixes Manufacturing from Purchased Flour​

3X more employed in Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing​

3X more employed in All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing​

3X more employed in Wet Corn Milling​

2X more employed in Bottled Water Manufacturing​

2 X more employed in Distilleries​

Above the average in Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing​

Above the average in Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing

IndustryWages
Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing​ $54,917 ​
Meat Processed from Carcasses​$54,496
Ice Manufacturing​$41,158
Bottled Water Manufacturing​$48,833
Distilleries$50,039
Commercial Bakeries​$45,290
Breweries$30,565
Retail Bakeries​$27,525
Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing​$46,297
Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate​$28,943
Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing​$44,507
Wineries​$21,053
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing​$53,001

Labor Availability

This map shows that 17,489 people travel to the St. Joseph area daily for work, proving that a good employer can draw labor from a wide radius. Additionally, this map shows that 15,907 people drive from St. Joseph’s region to work in other locations. This creates a potential workforce as the vast majority of these 15,907 workers will consider working in the St. Joseph area, as more jobs are created.

Transportation Infrastructure

St. Joseph is a crossroads for two major thoroughfares, Interstate 29 and U.S. Highway 36. The city is served by two interstate highways, one proposed interstate, and four U.S. Routes. 

  • I-29, which runs south to Kansas City and north to Council Bluffs, Iowa
  • US Highway 36, an expressway with many freeway sections, connecting Kansas to Illinois.

Major Airport

St. Joseph is just 35 minutes from Kansas City International Airport (KCI). KCI is a full service, international airport served by every major U.S. passenger and all-cargo carriers. More than 400 flights from 11 major carriers arrive and depart daily from KCI, and airfares are among the lowest in the nation.

Rail

Rail service provided by Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway provides direct access to all parts of North America

St. Joseph Regional Port Authority

The Missouri River, part of the nation’s inland waterway system, is St. Joseph’s gateway to the Gulf of Mexico. Our public river port facility gives area businesses the affordable option of transporting via river barge. The port is located at Missouri River mile 448. The port facility also has a Union Pacific rail spur. It is operated by Transport 360, which is built to accommodate everything from small business to major corporations.

Featured real estate

Click here to view Eastowne Business Park and other real estate options.

Incentives Options to Suit Your Needs*

Economic Development Programs Related to New Job Creation and Capital Investment:

  • Buchanan County Economic Development Fund

  • St. Joseph Industrial Foundation

  • Chapter 100 Bond Program

  • Missouri State Incentives

  • Tax Increment Financing

  • Chapter 353 Tax Abatement

  • Improvement Districts

  • BUILD Program infrastructure

  • Economic Development riders for Electricity/Water

Redevelopment Related Programs:

  • Tax Increment Financing

  • Chapter 353 Tax Abatement

  • Improvement Districts

*Eligibility criteria apply

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