• 682259b509d5cca6b4e08209 Conagra

    Conagra Spending $29 Million To Expand in Macon, Missouri

    May 12, 2025
    The investment includes the replacement of outdated equipment and the addition of new equipment to increase cooler and preparation space, enhance production capacity and improve sustainability; it should create 26 jobs.

    Conagra Brands plans to expand its operations in Macon, Mo., with a $29.1 million project expected to create 26 jobs.

    The investment includes the replacement of outdated equipment and the addition of new equipment to increase cooler and preparation space, enhance production capacity and improve sustainability.

    Equipment that will be replaced through the expansion include bake ovens and freezers, dewatering process equipment and raw meat inspection equipment. New raw meat processing equipment will be added to expand the variety of products produced at the facility. This will allow the company to better meet consumer demand for healthier items like Healthy Choice and Marie Callender’s meals.

    While they didn’t specify the plant at the time, Conagra officials at the February Consumer Analyst Group of New York meeting blamed part of the disappointing financial results on a production problem at the primary facility that cooks chicken used in frozen meals -- we're not sure if it's this one. It forced the company to buy meat from a third-party supplier, raising expenses, and to not fully meet demand in the third quarter.

    Conagra apparently got support from the Missouri Works program, through withholdings or tax credits for job creation. The company also may receive assistance from Missouri One Start, part of the state’s Dept. of Economic Development.

    About the Author

    Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

    Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.