US agri-food giant Cargill is investing US$146m in the protein side of its business via the expansion of its facility in Nashville.

The expansion will increase Cargill’s meat crumble offerings for food ingredient, foodservice and retail customers and will also include construction of a dried sausage production facility. 

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Sausage production is scheduled to begin during the first half of 2019. The project will create more than 100 jobs, doubling the facility’s current employee number.

Monte Metz, plant general manager, said: “Our customers asked for new value-added cooked meat capabilities, and we are thrilled to be able to respond by investing in this expansion at our facility. Nashville is strategically located to serve our customers in a way that helps them improve their supply chain.”

Cargill gained ownership of the Nashville facility when it acquired beef products, soups and sauces supplier Five Star Custom Foods in June 2016.

The Nashville investment is part of Cargill’s plan to grow its protein business. Over the past two years, the company has invested nearly $850m in the expansion of its US protein business, with projects in Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa and Kansas.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Brian Sikes, president the president of Cargill’s protein arm, said: “We’re pleased to support investments like the Nashville expansion that help our customers grow and the communities where we operate prosper.” 

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact