76 New Food and Beverage Industry Planned Projects as Growth Remains Steady for May 2023

The food and beverage industry continues to show strong forward momentum in 2023, as confirmed by the latest capital project spending report from IMI SalesLeads. In May alone, 76 new planned food and beverage construction projects were identified across North America—a slight increase from the 74 projects recorded in April, signaling sustained growth in an essential industrial sector.

Each month, SalesLeads tracks critical industrial project developments—ranging from greenfield builds and facility expansions to major equipment modernization efforts—offering suppliers, contractors, OEMs, and industrial marketers an edge in identifying real-time opportunities.

Whether you sell material handling systems, processing equipment, conveyors, or packaging machinery, these 76 projects represent a live heat map of demand—ripe for prospecting and pipeline building.

The following are selected highlights on new Food and Beverage industry construction news.

🏭 Food and Beverage Projects by Facility Type

• Processing Facilities – 49 New Projects

• Distribution & Industrial Warehouses – 28 New Projects

(Note: Some facilities fall under multiple categories.)

🛠️ Project Scope & Activity Breakdown

• New Construction – 29 New Projects

• Facility Expansions – 26 New Projects

• Renovations/Equipment Upgrades – 23 New Projects

• Plant Closings – 2 Projects

From new facilities to strategic upgrades, this mix reflects a healthy balance of greenfield investment and reinvestment in core infrastructure across the sector.

🌎 Top 10 States for Food & Beverage Projects (May 2023)

1. California – 8 Projects

2. Wisconsin – 6 Projects

3. New York – 4 Projects

4. Ohio – 4 Projects

5. Virginia – 4 Projects

6. Kentucky – 3 Projects

7. Pennsylvania – 3 Projects

8. Alabama – 2 Projects

9. Connecticut – 2 Projects

10. Illinois – 2 Projects

These hotspots offer prime territory for sales reps, manufacturers, and construction partners aiming to align with where investments are actively flowing.

💰 Largest Food & Beverage Projects – May 2023

IMI researchers tracked 3 major projects valued at $100 million or more, including a massive new development from Coca-Cola.

🔹 The Coca-Cola Company – Webster, NY

• 💵 $650 million investment

• 🏗️ 745,000 sq. ft. processing facility

• 📍 Location: Tebor Road, Webster, NY

• 📆 Construction Start: Fall 2023

• 🎯 Completion Target: Late 2025

During the month of May, our research team identified 3 new Food and Beverage facility construction projects with an estimated value of $100 million or more.

The largest project is owned by The Coca-Cola Company, who is planning to invest $650 million for the construction of a 745,000 sf processing facility on Tebor Rd. in WEBSTER, NY. Construction is expected to start in Fall 2023, with completion slated for late 2025.

🔟 Top Tracked Projects – Food & Beverage Sector (May 2023)

1. Aurora, IL – $103M, 407,000 sq. ft. foodservice processing plant
2. Rancho Cucamonga, CA – 1.4M sq. ft. supermarket distribution center
3. Jacksonville, FL – $61M, 1M sq. ft. distribution center upgrade
4. Constantine, MI – $41M distillery ethanol processing facility
5. Lancaster, PA – $31M food ingredient manufacturing expansion
6. Red Deer County, AB (Canada) – $29M food ingredient facility
7. Des Moines, IA – 570,000 sq. ft. food processing equipment upgrades
8. Lenexa, KS – $14M, 83,000 sq. ft. beverage distribution facility
9. Edgewood, NY – $12M renovation of 231,000 sq. ft. distribution center
10. Manakin-Sabot, VA – 93,000 sq. ft. indoor farming facility expansion

These projects represent a diverse mix of cold storage, automated logistics, processing, and ingredient production—with demand spanning construction contractors, equipment suppliers, and service providers.

ILLINOIS:

Foodservice company is planning to invest $103 million for the construction of a 407,000 sf processing facility at 2810 Duke Pkwy. in AURORA, IL. They are currently seeking approval for the project.

CALIFORNIA:

Supermarket chain is planning for the construction of a 1.4 million sf distribution center in RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA. They are currently seeking approval for the project.

FLORIDA:

Membership-only grocery and retail chain is planning to invest $61 million for the renovation and equipment upgrades on a recently pre-leased 1 million sf distribution center at 1400 Zoo Pkwy in JACKSONVILLE, FL.

MICHIGAN:

Distillery is planning to invest $41 million for the construction of a 9,000 sf ethanol processing facility in CONSTANTINE, MI. They are currently seeking approval for the project.

PENNSYLVANIA:

Food ingredient mfr. is planning to invest $31 million for the expansion and equipment upgrades at their processing facility in LANCASTER, PA. They are currently seeking approval for the project.

ALBERTA:

Food ingredient mfr. is planning to invest $29 million for the construction of a manufacturing facility in RED DEER COUNTY, AB. They are currently seeking approval for the project. 

IOWA:

Food processing company is planning for equipment upgrades on their 570,000 sf processing facility in DES MOINES, IA. They are currently seeking approval for the project.

KANSAS:

Beverage distributor is planning to invest $14 million for the construction of an 83,000 sf warehouse and office facility at 16800 W 113th St. in LENEXA, KS. They have recently received approval for the project.

NEW YORK:

Specialty food distributor is planning to invest $12 million for the renovation and equipment upgrades on a recently leased 231,000 sf distribution center at 80 Wilshire Blvd. in EDGEWOOD, NY. They will relocate their regional operations upon completion in late 2023. 

VIRGINIA:

Indoor farming company is planning for the expansion of their processing facility at 1343 Hockett Rd. in MANAKIN-SABOT, VA by 93,000 sf. Construction is expected to start in late Summer 2023. 

🧭 Why It Matters

From dairy and distilling to dry goods and produce logistics, the food and beverage industry is investing in smarter, faster, and cleaner operations. For those in industrial sales, OEM manufacturing, or outsourced sales development, this data points directly to where deals are forming, RFPs are surfacing, and plant managers are actively sourcing solutions.

🔹 About IMI SalesLeads, Inc.

Since 1959, IMI SalesLeads, based in Jacksonville, FL, has been the trusted partner for industrial sales teams seeking timely, verified capital project intelligence. Each month, the firm delivers hundreds of detailed project reports—tracking new construction, expansions, relocations, and key equipment upgrades across industrial sectors.

IMI SalesLeads is a leader in delivering industrial capital project intelligence and prospecting services for sales and marketing teams to ensure a predictable and scalable pipeline. Our Industrial Market Intelligence, IMI identifies timely insights on companies planning significant capital investments such as new construction, expansion, relocation, equipment modernization and plant closings in industrial facilities. The Outsourced Prospecting Services, an extension to your sales team, is designed to drive growth with qualified meetings and appointments for your internal sales team. Visit us at salesleadsinc.com.

Each month, our team provides hundreds of industrial reports within a variety of industries, including:

• Industrial Manufacturing
• Plastics
• Food and Beverage
• Metals
• Power Generation
• Pulp Paper and Wood
• Oil and Gas
• Mining and Aggregates
• Chemical
• Research and Development
• Distribution and Supply Chain
• Pipelines
• Pharmaceutical
• Industrial Buildings
• Waste Water Treatment
• Data Centers

Looking to fill your pipeline with pre-qualified projects and buyers? IMI’s proprietary data and outsourced prospecting services can help you turn insights into booked appointments and revenue.