Epstein's Roots: Industrial Facilities

Founded in 1921 to support the growth of Chicago’s Central Manufacturing District, Epstein has grown into a premiere design, engineering and construction firm providing clients with best-in-class services. For decades, Epstein has delivered industrial facilities across the world, and now we are excited to include poultry to our portfolio as well.

Chad Ware, Director of Industrial Process, brings to Epstein over 17 years of expertise in large bird evisceration, cut-up systems, automated de-boning lines (turkeys), live bird handling and gas stunning systems, and broiler processing. His proven success includes a 25-40% reduction in production costs, new lines capable of producing up to 10,5000 birds per hour, innovative solutions that revolutionized the way poultry cut-up systems dealt with bird size variation, and purpose-built innovations for key customers.

Chad came to Epstein in 2022 from protein processor Marel, where he built their project management team in the US from the ground up, managed nearly 20 greenfield factories and major capital projects across the globe, and worked with clients such as Butterball, Tyson's, Pilgrim’s, and Wayne Farms.

Below are samples of Epstein's industrial processing facilities which include our integrated services such as strategic studies, master planning, simulation, architecture and engineering, workplace design, sustainability consulting, process/packaging engineering, and DesignBuild.

Prestage Foods of Iowa
Eagle Grove, Iowa

Epstein provided DesignBuild services for one of the most technically advanced fresh pork processing plants in North America. The 650,000 square feet plant was designed to process 1,400 head per hour on one shift at a cost of $320M. The design included state-of-the-art odor control, unique animal handling details, and a full suite of robotic automation, rendering and wastewater treatment.

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Prestage Foods of Iowa

JBS USA
Ottumwa, Iowa

Epstein to provided DesignBuild services for a new 20,000 square foot, $10.5M CO2 stunning operation. The existing layout of the barns and plant required careful consideration in the design for the modification of the barn and for the new stunning area. Epstein’s design relocated the new stunning area that required modifications to the existing barns.

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JBS USA

Wholestone Foods
Fremont, Nebraska

Epstein provided Acquisition Due Diligence, Master Planning and DesignBuild services for the conversion of a former Hormel processing plant into a 1,500 head per hour state-of-the-art, cost competitive and high quality pork processing facility. Individual projects include: CO2 Stunning, Office and Employee Areas, Carcass Deep Chill, Carcass Cooling Improvement, Carcass Cooler Expansion, Trim Blending, Wastewater Treatment, Equilibration, New Cut Floor and Packaging, and Rendering Facility.

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Wholestone Farms

Smithfield
Multiple Locations

Epstein has designed a number of Smithfield and their subsidiaries' facilities over several years and completed dozens of projects that include:

"Bacon Plant of the Future" that employed best-in-class technology to deliver premium quality and yield, while reducing total staffing and labor cost.

A new 1,106 head per hour fresh meat plant in Sioux City, IA

A new 120 head per hour sow processing plant and sausage operation in Godwin, NC

A new livestock barn at their Sioux Falls, SD plant

A new spice blending plant in Eastvale, CA

Three expansions (sliced bacon, dry sausage and ham) for their Patrick Cudahy, Wisconsin operation

Construction of a new CO2 stunning system and new cut floor at the Farmer John’s facility in Vernon, CA

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Smithfield's Farmer John's Facility

Seaboard Triumph Foods
St. Joseph, Missouri

Epstein provided DesignBuild Services for a new 750,000 square foot, $270M pork processing facility. The plant was designed to process 1,400 head per hour on one shift and prior to completion a 200,000 square foot addition was added to support a second shift of production.

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Seaboard Triumph Foods

Daily’s Premium Meats
St. Joseph, Missouri

Epstein provided DesignBuild Services for a $41.5M, 143,000 square feet greenfield bacon plant. The design included state of the art features including automated material handling systems, unique and highly efficient process flows, flexible packaging systems and automated box handling. The plant was designed to expand to double the output with no impact on existing operations.

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Daily's Premium Meats