Fair Oaks Foods breaks ground on a $134 million investment in the QC
After growing nearly 500% in the past 30 years, Fair Oaks Foods celebrated another milestone on Thursday, Sept. 1, with a groundbreaking for a new state-of-the-art production facility in the Quad Cities. The event, attended by the City of Davenport, Quad Cities Chamber and additional community leaders, marked the company’s first expansion outside Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, and a $134 million investment in the region.
“As a company, Fair Oaks Foods takes our values seriously. Integrity, honesty, diversity and community are all important to us. After looking at over 100 sites across the U.S., we believe the Quad Cities is one of the best locations we could have chosen - a solid community with a diverse workforce and family values, to support our companies’ values and growth,” said Michael L. Thompson, President & CEO Fair Oaks Foods.
Fair Oaks Foods is a family-owned meat processing company and the 11th largest Black-owned business in the U.S. Founded in 1985, it produces and supplies a variety of protein products, including bacon, meatballs, pork and turkey sausage to food service, national grocery stores and quick-serve restaurants globally.
Fair Oaks Foods is a certified Minority Business Enterprise, established during a time when the world’s largest fast-food restaurant searched for a supplier that further reflected the demographics of its customer base. The company filled a gap in an industry that was in crucial need of diversity and growth. Three decades later, Fair Oaks Foods is an innovative business consisting of culinary experts that specialize in making flavor-filled, fully cooked meat and plant-based protein products. The Davenport facility will expand the company’s current capabilities and produce cooked bacon.
Site work is underway on a 32-acre parcel in the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center near Interstate 80 in Davenport. Construction will include a 150,000-square-foot building and the operations are expected to commence in early 2024.
“I am excited that Fair Oaks Foods has chosen to make Davenport and the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center home of their new manufacturing facility,” said Davenport Mayor Mike Matson. “Their ability to quickly break ground on this new facility shows that the Quad Cities is well prepared with shovel-ready sites for businesses looking to locate or expand their business here.”
“We are extremely excited to begin construction this week on our new facility and our future growth in Fair Oaks Foods. The development of the project from site selection through facility and process design has been a two-year process that has led us to this special day here in Davenport,” said Joseph M. Freda, COO of Fair Oaks Foods. “We are anticipating opening the facility in early 2024 and will begin the hiring process in 2023 focusing on key leadership roles first, and then moving towards filling factory jobs as we near completion of the facility in early 2024.”
Tami Petsche, Quad Cities Chamber Vice President, Business & Economic Growth, said the business will have a $182 million annual economic impact on the QC, which will be felt across the entire region. “Residents throughout the QC will be hired by the company and our businesses will provide needed services and supplies. This creates more economic prosperity for all of us.
“We appreciate the investment Fair Oaks Foods is making and its confidence in our skilled workforce and community. It is a strong message to other businesses looking to open or expand in the Quad Cities,” Petsche said.
Fair Oaks Foods expects to hire an estimated 247 employees and offer competitive wages and benefits for a range of positions, including production, warehousing, sanitation, maintenance and plant management and support.
Fair Oaks Foods partnered with The Austin Company on site selection, design, and construction of the project. "We value our role in this important investment made by a great company in a vibrant and progressive city. We are looking forward to a fruitful partnership that will deliver a successful project to all stakeholders," said Mike Pierce, President and CEO of The Austin Company.
Austin will work with various local and regional subcontractors to build the project, which is estimated to support approximately 250 construction jobs.
Fair Oaks Foods chose the region based on several factors including the QC’s highly skilled workforce, close proximity of suppliers, securing a certified site with room for expansion, and the region’s close-knit community and culture. In addition, the company was seeking a region where it could be involved and give back to the community.
The City of Davenport is providing a 60% Tax Increment Finance (TIF) rebate to the company for 15 years, minus $1.1 million for the upfront cost of a pretreatment facility. Fair Oaks Foods also will receive a $3.4 million sales tax refund on construction materials from the state.