Developments funded by the investment include upgrading existing production lines, revamping facilities for the factory’s 600 workers, and initiatives to improve energy efficiency and to help reduce carbon emissions.

When it comes to production, similarities exist among alternative and animal protein processes, but several differences occur, particularly around operational footprint, equipment, and water and energy usage.

Mattoni 1873, a distributor of soft drinks in Central Europe, has invested more than €40 million ($43.66 million) in technology for its various plants in the last three years.

In the past, Food Engineering’s Sustainable Plant of the Year story has focused on a single plant at one geographic location that has made significant strides in sustainability.

Any milk dryer operation uses a lot of energy, and when you have the biggest operation in North America, you use…a lot of energy.

Renovating a facility to increase its capacity, energy use and water consumption doesn’t sound like it would earn Food Engineering’s 2022 Sustainable Project of the Year, but that’s exactly what Kerry’s coatings and seasonings facility in Rome, Georgia, has done.

It only takes a few seconds after stepping into Vital Farms’ Egg Central Station (ECS) to realize that the company truly loves its egg-related puns. If there’s writing nearby, be it on a wall, memo or bulletin board, there’s a pun not far behind. They’re part of an ethos that starts from the top and flows down the company’s ranks to put a smile on someone’s face, even if just for a second. That idea of doing good extends beyond the facility walls to its other locations, the farmers who supply the eggs, the consumers who buy the product and, finally, to the planet itself. That visible commitment to the environment is why the addition at ECS was chosen as FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2023 Sustainable Plant of the Year.

Sustainability efforts at Meati Foods’ Thornton, Colorado facility match the sustainable intent of the mycelium-based products it produces.

We are now accepting entries for the 2022 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award. Submissions are due Friday, March 4, and eligible facilities need to have been completed in 2021 and opened by January 31, 2022.

We are now accepting entries for the 2022 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award. Submissions are due Friday, March 4, and eligible facilities need to have been completed in 2021 and opened by January 31, 2022.

We are now accepting entries for the 2023 Food Engineering Plant of the Year award. Submissions are due Tuesday, January 31, and eligible facilities need to have been completed in 2022 and opened by January 31, 2023.

Two expansion projects have earned this year’s honors, with the awards to be presented at the Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo in October.

Construction projects, like stories, tend to follow a regular, logical progression. Delivery systems vary, but they all typically start with a client’s need, selecting a project team, site visits, design meetings, groundbreaking and so on—but in the case of Hatfield North, the project began with the smokehouses.

The plant will be featured in the April cover story, and the award will be presented at the annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo.

Food Engineering's annual construction survey shows that tax cuts have encouraged construction and renovations, but the labor shortage is affecting those projects as well.

While we've looked at the key issues - including COVID-19 - facing food processors and A&E/Cs this year in FE's 2020 Annual Plant Construction Survey, there's a lot more to discuss.

Processors are turning to automation to fill jobs where people are unavailable.

For locating facilities, operators look for geographical areas with an employable workforce and adequate logistics.

FSMA’s Intentional Adulteration rule is still a work in progress for some sites, meanwhile processors and retailers are eyeing indoor grow facilities.

Trucor Refined is a PVC-free flooring collection that combines rigid core and laminate for those who prefer an environmentally friendly, waterproof, durable and luxurious floor that is easy to install and maintain.

The high-performance laminate flooring offers marble and porcelain visuals in a user-friendly, click-lock tile. 

The purchased assets include the Naturally Aged Flooring, Harris, Kraus and Heritage Mill brands in North America, as well as related inventory and associated domain names and websites.

The North American Laminate Floor Association announces its newest member, Cali. Cali is an omni-channel brand in the flooring industry. 

In this role, Johnson will lead hard surface product innovation, marketing, and strategic direction.

LF-02, created by NALFA as a benchmark in environmental responsibility for laminate floor coverings, aims to systematically document and enhance the sustainability profile of products. 

Välinge announced that Changzhou Chenglu New Materials CO., Ltd. became a 5G Dry licensee and launched a collection of laminate products with increased waterproofness using the technology.

Mohawk is refreshing its popular RevWood line to represent recent product enhancements and evolving market demands. 

Jufeng selected i4F’s drop-lock technologies for faster and easier installation as well as AquaProtect, i4F’s highly advanced water-resistant process technology for laminate as part of its strategy to launch its laminate flooring as a mass market offering.

AHF Products, a manufacturer of hard surface flooring in the U.S., announced the launch of new product lines by Bruce, Armstrong Flooring, Hartco and Crossville, the company's brands.

The National Floorcovering Alliance's 26 vendor partners came armed with new products and promotion ideas aimed to boost sales for flooring retailers in 2024. 

Named after the legendary Northern California surf spot, known for its massive waves, this new NALFA-certified collection spans 86-5/8” long and 9-7/16” wide.

For the third year, the Mohawk Design Summit brought together retailers and designers to curate the 2025 and 2026 products for the Mohawk, Karastan and Godfrey Hirst brands. 

This initiative marks the first major revision of the standard since its last update in 2019, emphasizing NALFA's commitment to ensuring the highest quality standards within the industry. 

Certainly there are exceptions to the rule and we had an opportunity to visit one of those when we were in Philadelphia recently to attend the Greenbuild expo and conference.

Many called 2013 “the Year of LVT.” And with good reason: Resilient has been the fastest growing flooring category, and within this rapidly growing segment, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is thriving (Editor’s note: For the purposes of this article, LVT refers to both luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank).

Cleaning and maintaining carpets and floors for the most part is not an everyday topic in most quarters of the floor covering industry. 

In conjunction with the 2014 InterCork II campaign being launched by APCOR, the international trade body representing cork producers from Portugal, I would like to elaborate further on their efforts while extolling the many virtues cork flooring has to offer the independent retailer.

Oils and waxes have been used to protect natural materials from the effects of the environment—light, water, cats, etc.—in buildings and building materials for as long as such things have existed.

Since its opening in 1960, Detroit’s Cobo Center has become one of the country’s most famous venues, drawing visitors to the banks of the Detroit River for the nation’s premier auto shows, concerts, political conventions and an endless variety of other events.

Unlike the residential market, which is essentially single family housing and most often dealing with remodels, the commercial sector is a vast sea of segments, ranging anywhere from corporate offices to healthcare to education to hospitality to retail to government/military and technically anything else not handled by the typical neighborhood retailer.

Selecting the right flooring for a space not only adds to its look, but experience and overall feel. That is one of the main points designers said when Floor Trends polled them to find out just what they’re looking for when designing for commercial spaces.

Rob Menefee wants to continue to grow his business. Considering he already has three locations and $12-plus million in annual sales, that is no small task. 

When you speak with David Martin, you cannot help but recognize his sense of history, place and responsibility. He is the fourth generation of Martins to work at one of the country’s largest flooring retailers. 

Ted Gregerson found true love as a young man. Working for a Carpet One store in his hometown right out of high school he discovered flooring was in his blood. His love for people, integrity and helping customers create beautiful homes inspired him to his core.

While wood floors are built to withstand the abuse of foot traffic and furniture, humidity is an invisible enemy that can quickly wreak havoc on even the best surfaces.

Almost 30 years ago, Janice Clifton was working as a public accountant and helping a local cash-and-carry flooring retailer exit the business. 

What happens when a designer redesigns his own home? Floor Trends was invited to the New York City apartment of nationally known interior design Vern Yip to find out.

Choosing and installing the correct commercial floor covering can be a detailed and complicated process that necessarily looks beyond aesthetic preference and examines every aspect of the installation, beginning with the substrate and its condition and ending with the required maintenance regimen once the flooring is installed.

Dave Munson learned the flooring business from the ground up working in his parents’ two stores in North Dakota.

Today more than ever it is vital for retailers to create a pleasant and unique shopping experience for consumers.