Canadian plant-based food producer, No Meat Factory, to launch operations in USA

The US Department of Commerce has announced that No Meat Factory (NMF), a Canadian manufacturer of plant-based meat alternative products, will open a new production facility in Stanwood, Washington. The new plant will reopen a facility closed by Twin City Foods in 2017.

The new facility will allow NMF to meet growing demand for its line of plant-based meat alternative products. After investing up to US$20 million in renovations and improvements, the Stanwood facility will be able to produce a full line of convenience products, including veggie burgers and nuggets, a veggie-based ground beef substitute, seafood alternatives and extruded products, such as sausages and wieners.

The Canadian firm launched its first production line in 2021 and opened a Surrey, British Columbia, plant in 2022 to accommodate increased product demand. The company also operates an innovation center in Surrey focused on new product development. The Stanwood plant is expected to go online toward the end of 2023 and eventually employ up to 150 workers when the expansion and update is complete. It is No Meat Factory’s first facility in the USA.

A US$200,000 state economic development grant to Economic Alliance Snohomish County will support site engineering and development costs as well as initial upgrades to the plant.

“Manufacturing is an important part of the state’s economy,” said Chris Green, Assistant Director for Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. “No Meat Factory will provide the community with living wage jobs and support additional economic vitality in the area as the company continues to grow and expand its US operations.”

“The establishment of No Meat Factory in Stanwood represents a significant investment in our local economy and a testament to our region's skilled workforce,” said Gerry Clark, Economic Alliance Snohomish County CEO & President. “We are proud to support this venture and to see the return of over 100 food processing jobs to our community.”

“We are excited to expand our operations with the acquisition of the Stanwood, Washington production facility,” added Leon Bell, No Meat Factory Founder & Chief Operating Officer. “This site will also produce exclusively plant-based alternative protein products to satisfy our growing partners’ requirements. In Stanwood, No Meat Factory will realize additional manufacturing capacity for convenience products and provide additional manufacturing capabilities for plant-based deli and sausage alternatives, allowing us to better service the US market through our existing brand owner partners and increase our offering to food service and private label clients.”