Stampede Meat Inc., announced it is expanding outside of Illinois for the first time in its 24-year history. Stampede is investing more than $36 million to renovate and reopen the former Tyson Foods facility in Sunland Park, which will increase Stampede’s existing 285,000 square footage and 190 million-pound capacity by more than half.

“Stampede has been at capacity on some critical lines for a number of months,” Stampede Meat CEO and President Brock Furlong said. “Starting this fall, this will allow Stampede to grow with a significant investment in cook capacity and new capabilities to continually play a more critical role as our customers look for more turn-key solutions.”

Over the next five years, this expansion will create 1,295 new food processing and manufacturing jobs, making Stampede’s growth one of the largest job creation projects in New Mexico in over a decade. Founded in 1995, Stampede produces custom, protein-based solutions for the foodservice and retail industries.

“The power of New Mexico's economic development tools are on full display today, as we proudly welcome Stampede Meat to Sunland Park,” said New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez. “This investment will bring new life and new jobs to a previously dormant facility and dramatically affect not only the community of Sunland Park, but also the entire State.”

In similar fashion to Stampede’s existing facilities, products made in New Mexico will be distributed across the entire U.S., as well as internationally to locations such as Canada and South America. Once fully utilized, the facility will support $300 to 400 million in revenue.

“We greatly thank our customers for their loyalty and partnership, giving us the confidence to make this investment in support of their growth and continued success,” Furlong said. “Thank you to Governor Susana Martinez and her team, the City of Sunland Park and the New Mexico Partnership for working with Stampede Meat to make our dream come true in the City of Sunland Park in the Great State of New Mexico. The level of support and degree of flexibility far surpassed the options we were considering in other states.”

Stampede’s expansion also received a great deal of support from the New Mexico Economic Development Department, which is investing up to $3 million in Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) funds. LEDA is New Mexico's closing fund, which helps in recruiting new businesses to the state. The City of Sunland Park will act as the fiscal agent for the award. Additional supporters in this expansion effort include the Construction Industries Division (CID), the New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA) team.

“MVEDA has been a great partner over the last five months from when we first began considering the City of Sunland Park,” Jim Scott, Chief Operations Officer of Stampede Meat, said. “Davin Lopez and Eric Montgomery have been true advocates for us and took the time to help us establish the necessary relationships and made us aware of the many incentives provided by the state of New Mexico. We are very excited about what the future holds for our new manufacturing location in the City of Sunland Park.”

A large job recruiting effort will start in September, as the facility is projected to open and begin business in October 2018. The renovated plant will showcase Stampede’s newest capabilities, facilitating its proprietary 360-degree fire-searing and sous vide cook capabilities. The plant is expected to attract weekly visits from world class customers in both foodservice and retail channels.

Stampede Meat is headquartered in Bridgeview, Ill., with surrounding facilities in Oak Lawn, Bedford Park and Hodgkins. These facilities currently produce a wide variety of menu offerings other than beef including chicken, turkey, pork, vegetables, soups, prepared meals and alternative proteins.

Source: Stampede Meat