Augusta, Georgia-based FPL Food, a vertically integrated beef processor, recently announced that it has secured an initial round of financing to expand its Augusta operation. This initial round is part of the company’s multi-phased plan to expand and rebuild the harvest and fabrication facility to further solidify its position as the Southeastern U.S. beef processing leader.
“Our company’s vision has always been to be a premier cattle producer and beef processor supporting Southeastern U.S. agriculture and providing premium quality beef to meet demand from our growing customer base,” said FPL Food Founder and CEO Francois Leger. “This expansion brings that vision to reality.”
The Augusta facility expansion provides needed capacity to meet the burgeoning demand for its vertically integrated beef brands, including Châtel Farms, True To Nature and Southern River Farms Natural Beef.
This first phase is the expansion of the company’s carcass cooler and fabrication floor, allowing it to operate a second shift and increase production of its popular Black Angus and Akaushi beef programs. It recently acquired the purebred Ankony Black Angus genetic herd and will use these genetics to build supply of high-quality Black Angus cattle to accommodate the company’s Châtel Farms, Reidsville, Georgia, backgrounding and cattle feeding operation.
Phase one is scheduled for completion in September 2021, and all phases will be completed within the next three years.
When completed, Phase one will allow the company to process up to 2,500 Black Angus and Akaushi fed cattle weekly. With the completion of all expansion phases, the throughput will increase to over 5,000. These numbers will supplement the company’s current cow and bull processing and take total production to more than 10,000 head weekly.
FPL Food, LLC was founded by Francois Leger in 2004 and currently operates a beef harvest and processing facility in Augusta, Georgia; a ground beef facility in Thomasville, Georgia; Châtel Farms, a cattle feeding operation in Reidsville, Georgia; and Châtel Ankony purebred Black Angus production in Midville, Georgia; and manages a steak cutting operation in Thomasville, Georgia, that is owned by a major retailer. FPL Food, LLC is one of the largest employers in Augusta and Thomasville, with more than 1,400 employees.
