Upper Iowa Beef to Expand Processing Plant

Jan. 26, 2023

The beef processor, which was awarded approximately $48 million in tax credits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, plans to increase production capacity at its facility in Lime Springs, Iowa.

Andy Hanacek

Beef processor Upper Iowa Beef has been awarded approximately $48 million in tax credits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), and will use those funds to increase production capacity at its facility in Lime Springs, Iowa.

Upper Iowa Beef opened in 2017 to serve northeast Iowa’s local cattle ranchers, processing beef for more than 400 independent cattle producers in the region. The processor sells Upper Iowa Beef-branded products as well as Certified Angus Beef (CAB) through wholesale distributors.

IEDA awarded the tax benefit through Iowa’s High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program, and it will allow Upper Iowa Beef to create 172 jobs – 33 of which fall under the HQJ program at a qualifying wage of $23.53 per hour.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.