Building on a strong 2024, food and beverage manufacturing is expected to steadily grow in 2025 with a continued focus on satisfying consumer demand for convenient, health-conscious and sustainable products.[1] Wisconsin, in particular, is seeing growth from major brands such as Nestle Purina which recently announced a $195 million expansion in Jefferson as well as Aztalan Bio’s $500 million investment in its Johnson Creek biorefinery.[2]
As more food and beverage companies decide to build or expand in the Badger state, their journey from initial design to a finished project is lined with important decisions from safety and hygiene to regulations and ever-changing economic considerations. With 60 years of building food and beverage processing facilities throughout Wisconsin, Riley Construction has the expertise to capably manage your next facility.
Here are some questions you should ask when determining who to work with on your next food and beverage construction project:
1. What will pre-planning look like and when should we start?
From the peanut butter used to make your favorite PB&J sandwich to sodas lining grocery store shelves, making any of the foods and drinks we all love includes a complex manufacturing process featuring efficient workflow, safety regulations, and quality control. Building the facility to ensure all these factors work in sync requires a detailed pre-planning process that includes owners and the construction team. Initiating the planning process well in advance is wise due to numerous considerations ranging from design to zoning. Starting early facilitates a more precise estimation process and enables phased construction if necessary. This approach provides the design team ample time to choose materials and finishes, helping to prevent delays and budget overruns. Don’t wait, the seeds you plant today determine the harvest you enjoy tomorrow.
2. What type of contract will work best for this type of project?
While Riley is always flexible to client needs, we often recommend using a Design-Build contract for Food & Beverage products because it streamlines projects to stay on schedule and on budget. Having a single point of accountability makes change orders less likely and using Riley’s proprietary InSTEP® helps set priorities early and custom approaches. In other methods, final costs are determined after design is completed. With Design-Build, design decisions that impact budget can be made much earlier and on average, saves owners 6-20% in costs compared to the traditional approach.[3]
A Design-Build approach also helps reduce the overall project schedule by allowing design and construction to occur simultaneously, rather than waiting for the design to be fully completed before starting construction. This streamlined process is particularly beneficial in the Food and Beverage industry, where speed to market is crucial.
3. What are some design and construction factors that will maximize safety?
Unlike many other types of manufacturing facilities, food and beverage plants need to be built with safety and quality controls that meet Good Hygiene and Manufacturing Practices (GHP, GMP). That means early design and construction must consider production, sanitation and maintenance when deciding on construction materials and methods.
A collaborative BIM process will create a layout that optimizes the flow of materials and products through the production process and segregates finished products from the hazards of raw materials.[4] Frequent quality inspections with infection control experts during the planning process can also flag any early issues or requirements.
Consider the following during the design phase:
- Safe floors in food plants are easy to clean, slip-resistant and prevent bacteria growth. Floor coatings such as urethane and epoxy should be reviewed against cleaning products, temperature, and frequency of use. In high-temperature areas, an FCUV topcoat may offer resistance up to 220 degrees.
- Pest control is vital to prevent contamination. Typical practices include meticulous placement of bug lights, diligent exterior planting selections, and durable seals at all exterior openings.
- Vertical storing dock levelers are also a key component for cleanliness and temperature-sensitive products.
- Ambient water systems, which are common, in food and beverage plants, need a thermally efficient, highly moisture-resistant, and long-life insulation system. That means piping systems will likely require closed-cell extruded insulation to avoid holding moisture.
- Production facilities require diligent attention to ensure particles and microbes from raw ingredients do not travel to areas with finished goods. Proper planning includes air pressure mapping, high filtration levels in HVAC equipment, and hand/clothing wash station placement.
Renovation projects require additional precautions compared to new construction. Since construction inherently produces significant dust and debris, it’s crucial to keep these activities separate from active food production processes. Addressing this concern early in the design phase is essential, as specific measures can be incorporated into the project design to minimize these risks.
4. How experienced are you in managing regulations in this industry?
From FDA and USDA to HACCP, Riley’s team understands the complexities of the food and beverage regulatory landscape, which means you will get a compliant facility designed for safety from project start to finish. We work closely with project owners to determine what ‘food grade’ means for a particular project. There are typical guidelines, but every facility has slight differences based on the product and the stage in which the product will be in at the facility. Facility location also has an impact. For example, if a plant is being constructed near an airport, there will likely be additional FAA/DNR regulations on how the building is vented. Outdoor air can carry from 200 to 1,500 bacteria per cubic meter circulating as much as 15 million bacteria each hour, which could compromise the quality of products at food processing plants.[5] Understanding the importance of temperature, humidity and air filtration are key to establishing an effective air filtration strategy.
5. What other factors should I consider when hiring a construction firm?
When selecting the right firm for your next food and beverage project, look beyond just the team’s technical expertise and assess their cultural fit as well. How long have leaders and key project managers been with the company and what kind of track record do they have with other clients? Industry experience is key and since 1965, Riley has constructed many food and beverage facilities in Wisconsin and Illinois. Flexibility and authority are also critical when meeting budgets and tight deadlines. Riley’s leadership team, many of whom have been with the company for their entire career, offer clients direct access to decision-makers which speeds up the process, saving time and money.
For more information on Riley Construction, visit our website and reach out to project executive Franz Lehner at FranzL@rileycon.com.