Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)
Summary
Industrial Info Resources is tracking 67 active capital projects at U.S. pasta and rice plants that are in various stages of development with a combined value of $585 million.
Pantry Staples
Cheap. Versatile. Filling. Pasta and rice have a lot going for them, and are food staples throughout much of the world. U.S. pasta and rice companies are putting their money to work through new plant construction, as well as expansions and equipment and production line additions at existing plants. According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are 67 active capital projects at U.S. pasta and rice plants that are in various stages of development with a combined value of $585 million.
Ohio Construction
One of the largest of those projects is geared primarily toward prepared rice-based meal solutions and comes from Canada’s Dainty Foods, a subsidiary of French rice giant Marbour Group. In its first venture into the U.S., Dainty will repurpose an existing 253,000-square-foot structure in Batavia Township, Ohio, adding equipment, production lines and everything needed to start rolling out rice products in the first quarter of 2027.
The project will be built in phases, with an aim to ramp up production to 250 million units annually, although Industrial Info doesn’t expect Phase II construction to kick off for another few years. The plant will produce microwavable pouches of rice and rice-based meals, with an aim to expand into cup- and bowl-based offerings in the future.
Dainty is expected to drop an initial US$85 million in Phase I development, increasing total expenditures to up to $150 million with the completion of Phase II. Subscribers to the Industrial Info Resources Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Food & Beverage Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
Of the active rice and pasta projects, Industrial Info Resources is tracking more than 20 projects valued just shy of $300 million that have been classified as having a high or medium probability (70-100%) of moving forward as planned. The Dainty project pushes Ohio into the lead spending position, joining another project in Coldwater, Ohio, to add a packaging line at an existing rice cake plant.
U.S. Pasta Projects
Despite Dainty’s Ohio rice project being the largest active U.S. rice and pasta project covered, projects at U.S. pasta plants are much more frequent, accounting for 39 of the 67 overall U.S. rice and pasta projects. Of these, Industrial Info Resources is tracking two capital U.S. pasta projects that are currently under construction, with another 16 that could potentially start this year, although not all of these are expected to move forward as planned.
The largest U.S. pasta project presently under construction is at an industrial park in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where Italy’s Il Pastaio Brescia is building a grassroot pasta manufacturing plant. The project broke ground last year and is expected to be completed in the coming months.
That project joins an expansion project from Nate’s Fine Foods at a pasta plant in Roseville, California. Nate’s chosen general contractor RCD Contracting is underway with construction of a building expansion and kettle line addition, where the pasta is cooked. Work commenced in 2025 and is expected to wind down late this year or early 2027.
Industrial Info Resources values the Pennsylvania and California pasta projects at a combined US$23.5 million. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
Bigger U.S. pasta projects are on their way, with one of the largest set to kick off later this year. Winland Foods Incorporated will add aa production line at its Saint Louis, Missouri, plant this year, including all the accompanying equipment such as mixers, blending vessels, formers, a conveyor system, packing additions, etc. Industrial Info Resources values the project, which is expected to be completed within a matter of months after it starts, at more than US$38 million. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
Most of the other U.S. pasta projects being tracked by Industrial Info include various upgrades and additions at existing plants.
Maintenance
In addition to capital projects, Industrial Info Resources also is tracking US$12.5 million worth of planned maintenance projects and programs set to occur at U.S. rice and pasta plants in 2026. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
Key Takeaways
- Industrial Info Resources is tracking $585 million worth of active capital projects in various phases of development at U.S. rice and pasta plants.
- One of the biggest projects is geared toward prepared rice-based products at a brownfield site in Batavia Township, Ohio.
- Most of the pasta plant projects represent equipment additions and expansions of existing facilities, although a grassroot is being constructed in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR’s Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).
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