Walmart will open a new case-ready beef facility in Kansas, building upon its strategy to create an end-to-end angus beef supply chain.
Walmart first entered the angus beef business and announced its ambition to create an end-to-end supply chain in 2019, with the goal of providing more options for customers looking for transparency and higher-quality meat. The company then took steps to implement strategies to accomplish this goal including an equity investment in Sustainable Beef LLC.
Set to break ground later in this year in Olathe, Kansas, the plant opening is supposed to create 600 new jobs.
Once the facility opens in Kansas, it will package and distribute a selection of angus cuts from Sustainable Beef LLC in North Platte, Neb., to serve its stores across the Midwest. With the investment, Walmart also has representation on Sustainable Beef’s board.
Walmart noted that the way customers shop for food has evolved over the past few years, with more seeking greater transparency in the supply chain. “We’ll continue to work hand in hand with our suppliers to ensure we're delivering high-quality products, increasing transparency, resiliency, and capacity through the supply process and meeting increased demand for our customers,” the company said in a release.
Last August, Walmart rolled out a new set of goals for Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club designed to source beef products more sustainably — part of the company’s plan to source 20 key commodities more sustainably by 2025.
