Walmart to open beef supply chain facility
Walmart is increasing its supply chain infrastructure dedicated to Angus beef.
The discount giant is set to break ground later this year on its first owned and operated case-ready beef facility, which it plans to open in 2025. Walmart says the new facility in Olathe, Kan. will offer greater visibility into its supply chain, bolstering its capacity to fulfill demand for quality beef, and create more than 600 jobs in the Olathe area.
Once opened, Walmart’s new facility in Kansas will package and distribute a selection of Angus cuts from Sustainable Beef LLC in North Platte, Neb., to serve its stores across the Midwest. The retailer made a minority investment in Sustainable Beef, a rancher-owned company based in North Platte, Neb., in 2022.
Walmart’s equity investment is part of a broader strategic partnership to source Angus beef from Sustainable Beef’s new beef processing facility. As part of the investment, Walmart will also have representation on Sustainable Beef’s board.
Walmart’s investment is intended to help Sustainable Beef open a beef processing facility in North Platte, Neb. The facility is expected to break ground in September 2023 and open by late 2024, creating more than 800 new jobs.
Walmart extends Angus beef supply chain from farm to shelf
Walmart has been powering up its proprietary, end-to-end Angus beef supply chain during the past several years. In June 2021, the discount giant introduced McClaren Farms beef in nearly 500 stores across five Southeastern states - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina.
McClaren Farms was Walmart’s first official release from its end-to-end Angus beef supply chain program it initiated in 2019. The new innovation aims to deliver quality beef options to Walmart customers while also heightening transparency and sustainability.
“The way our customers shop for food has evolved over the past few years, with more seeking greater transparency in the supply chain” David Baskin, senior VP, deli, meat & seafood , Walmart and Bruce Heckman,, VP, manufacturing, private brands, Walmart, said in a corporate blog post. “We’ll continue to work hand in hand with our suppliers to ensure we're delivering high-quality products, increasing transparency, resiliency and capacity through the supply process and meeting increased demand for our customers.
“At Walmart, enhancing quality is integral to how we innovate. Once opened, our case-ready beef facility in Olathe, Kansas will mark an important next step in our journey to create an end-to-end Angus beef supply chain, ensuring our customers have access to the high-quality meats they expect at the every day low prices they rely on.”