SHELBYVILLE, Ind. — Shelbyville has been chosen as the site for what is expected to be the largest facility in North America for producing plant-based protein foods. Greenleaf Foods, SPC announced today that it will invest $310 million in the new plant and create as many as 460 jobs by the end of 2022.
The announcement was made during a ground-breaking ceremony today attended by Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger.
Greenleaf makes the foods under brands including Lightlife Foods and Field Roast Grain Meat Co., the top two brands in the refrigerated alternative protein category. Greenleaf is a wholly owned subsidiary of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. of Mississaugu, Ontario. Greenleaf was established in 2018 and is headquartered in Chicago. Greenleaf operates facilities in Seattle and Turner Falls, Mass.
The 230,000-square-foot Shelbyville plant will double Greenleaf’s production capacity. It will be located on 57 acres directly east of Interstate 74 and south of State Road 44. The property was acquired by the city and Shelby County from First Presbyterian Church in Shelbyville in December 2018. Space is available on the property to expand beyond the project announced today.
The Greenleaf investment is the largest industrial project in the history of Shelbyville, said Brian Asher, executive director of Shelby County Development Corp.
“It adds to our international business,” Asher said. “This combines Shelby County’s farming and manufacturing backgrounds in one.”
Incentives from Shelbyville and Shelby County total $2.5 million. The state offered up to $5 million in conditional tax credits and as much as $1 million in training grants based on job creation plans. The state also offered up to $1.25 million from the Industrial Development Grant Fund.
