Western Smokehouse Partners Proposes Expansion in Galesburg, Illinois

Oct. 3, 2024

Project would convert portion of a former Maytag factory to meat snack production at a cost of $50 million.

Western Smokehouse Partners is looking to increase meat snack production and is willing to invest $50 million with subsidiary Thrushwood Farms Quality Meats to move into and redevelop the unused portion of a former Maytag factory in Galesburg, Ill., according to local reports.

The Galesburg city council still needs to approve the project, which could bring as many as 150-180 new jobs to the region. Reports say the city would contribute $1 million to support the expansion.

Thrushwood was founded in Galesburg in 1978 and has grown over the decades, even since it was acquired by Western Smokehouse Partners in 2020. At the time, Western Smokehouse Partners decided to locate its headquarters in Galesburg — and a 10-year lease for the headquarters was executed in May 2024.

Now, Western has executed a 10-year lease for 179,000 sq. ft. of the former Maytag plant for this expansion. The appliance manufacturer left the facility in September of 2004. The Western Smokehouse Partners project is recommended to be approved, and if it is and the expansion is completed, the company will employ more than 350 people in Galesburg.

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.