US agribusiness company Cargill plans to invest $48m in a new automated distribution system at its beef processing facility in Dodge City, Kansas.
Cargill noted that new system will allow the company to better support its customers and improve the plant's ability to keep highly perishable fresh meat products flowing to hundreds of destinations.
The new distribution system is capable of holding approximately 155,000 boxes of beef, and will increase the beef capacity at Dodge City facility to 130,000 boxes.
The system will be housed in a new 62,000-square-foot building established specifically for that purpose. It uses Retrotech automation and Viastore equipment, and replaces the existing aged system.
It will offer increased efficiency, improved reliability, reduced maintenance, lower operating costs, increased capacity and utilization, in a more sustainable way due to improved energy use compared with, the company said.
Dodge City plant, which is strategically located in Western Kansas, supplies beef products to retail, foodservice and processed foods customers throughout the US, and internationally.
Cargill Beef Wichita president John Keating said that the new distribution system will benefit our customers by improving order accuracy and on-time delivery, in addition to providing better capability to handle the ever-increasing complexity of product offerings shipped to domestic and international markets.
"Installation of this new system will help us better meet our customers' expectations, something we have demonstrated as a core competency through similar investments made in recent years at our Schuyler, Neb.; Friona, Texas; and High River, Alberta, Canada, beef processing plants," Keating added.
Cargill's Dodge City beef processing facility is located on 1,400 acres, and employs nearly 2,700 people and harvests 6,000 head of cattle daily.
