Schwan’s to expand pizza manufacturing facility in Kansas

US-based food manufacturer Schwan’s Company is set to build a new 400,000ft² expansion at its pizza manufacturing facility in Salina, Kansas.

The manufacturing plant will be complete with advanced pizza-production lines, shipping and receiving docks, as well as office space.

As a part of the expansion, the facility will feature production lines and equipment that can manufacture more than 100 million pizzas annually.

Additionally, it will include investments in technology and protocols designed to reduce risks during situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic, following CDC guidelines.

Speaking of the development, Schwan’s Company CEO Dimitrios Smyrnios said: “For 50 years, we have made steady investments in growing our operations in Salina, and our facility eventually became what we believe is the largest pizza production facility in the world.

“This new investment in Salina will help ensure that we can achieve our growth plans and continue to provide delicious pizzas to millions of families for decades to come.”

Once completed, the facility could create 225 full-time employment opportunities in the region by 2023.

Schwan’s currently operates a 550,000ft² production facility and distribution centre in Salina and has a workforce of 1,125 people.

The latest investment in the Salina facility will support the company’s growth initiatives in the retail and food-service markets in the US and abroad.

The facility will help the company to reduce its wastewater output by 10,000gal a day. Schwan’s is partnering with energy company Evergy Energy to identify efficiency and sustainability programmes.

Schwan’s selected engineering and construction company Burns & McDonnell to lead the architecture, engineering, and construction of the facility, set to begin next month.

The facility should begin making pizzas in the expanded area in December 2022.

The company is also planning additional expansions in Salina over the next several years to further expand its pizza business.