Springfield recognized as food manufacturing hub

The Queen City region is a top food manufacturing center, according to a newly released annual ranking by South Carolina-based site selection and negotiation firm Global Location Strategies.

The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce announced Aug. 27 that the Springfield area was recognized in the report as one of the nation’s top 25 food manufacturing hubs. Specifically, it is tied with Wichita, Kansas, for No. 25. That’s 31 spots higher than its 2024 ranking.

In the seven-state West North Central manufacturing region, where Missouri is joined by Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, Springfield was tied for the No. 5 spot out of 35 metropolitan areas by rising from its sixth-place position in 2024.

The regional list places the Kansas City, Missouri/Kansas, metro area first, followed by Fargo, North Dakota/Minnesota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota/Minnesota; and Omaha, Nebraska/Iowa. These metros all earned a place in the national top 20.

The announcement by the chamber notes Springfield made one of the largest leaps in the annual report, and that reflects its strong momentum and growing role in the U.S. food production supply chain, according to officials.

In the announcement, Jonas Arjes, the chamber’s senior vice president of economic development, calls food manufacturing a cornerstone of the local economy.

“This ranking reinforces what we already know – that our region’s talented workforce, strong industry network and supportive business climate make Springfield an ideal location for growth and investment,” he said.

The chamber notes manufacturing is the fourth-largest industry in the Springfield MSA, and food manufacturing specifically employees 3,000-plus people, comprising 16.2% of all manufacturing employment in the area. Some food manufacturers here are Vital Farms, Kraft Heinz Foods Co., McCormick French’s and Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co.

Arjes said in an interview that the announcement was a welcome one, though it initially caught him off guard. He admitted that he wasn’t sure of the exact factors that led to the jump in rankings.

“The timing of it was great, but it was a little bit of a surprise for us,” he said. “It fits right into the stories we’ve got teed up over the next several weeks and months.”

Arjes said that some positive manufacturing news is coming soon, and he is eager to share it.

“I can’t get into specifics, but expect more news of expansions coming,” he said. He said the food manufacturing ranking is now part of the story Springfield can tell as it invites businesses to consider locating here.

“We’re going to be strategic in using the tools that we have to target certain opportunities,” he said. “This is a piece we can take to site-selection consultants and companies, industry and trade shows to say here’s a feather in our cap, and here’s objective, third-party evidence to why we rank this way. If you’re not considering us, you should.”

Arjes was asked what goes into making Springfield a food manufacturing hub.

“Where we check a lot of the boxes is availability of logistics and the central location of Springfield and Missouri as a whole,” he said.

Another factor is proximity to sources of raw materials, including agricultural ones, Arjes said.

In the chamber announcement, Mike O’Brien, director of plant operations at Vital Farms’ Egg Central Station, located in Springfield’s Partnership Industrial Center West, also cited the Queen City’s central location, as well as a hard-working workforce and a supportive community.

“Our crew here grades, washes and packs eggs before they are shipped to more than 23,500 grocery stores and restaurants nationwide, fueling our success as the leading pasture-raised egg brand and the No. 2 egg brand in the U.S. by retail dollar sales,” he said. “Springfield provides the infrastructure, talent and proximity to our network of more than 500 farms that make our growth possible.”

Arjes noted that strength in the food sector is a very good thing for the Springfield area.

“From a macroeconomics perspective, all things considered, if there are swings in the economy, we all have to eat,” he said.

Manufacturing plans
One small manufacturer with eyes on the city already has it in its name: Springfield Trading Co. LLC, manufacturer of hot sauces and seasonings.

Although the company has a store at 225 E. Sunshine St., Suite 102, its manufacturing happens out of town, at Spicin Foods Inc. in the Kansas City area, which tops the regional rankings, and in three other states: Colorado, Florida and New York.

Owner and CEO Anthony Brent said that’s about to change, with plans to bring all manufacturing under one roof in a facility at a 419 W. Kearney St. location in the second quarter of 2026. The commercial kitchen is owned by Michael Slavych, founder and CEO of Queen City Barbecue Co. and product development partner for Springfield Trading Co.

“We’re trying to bring everything in-house – that’s the ultimate goal,” Brent said.

He said preparations are underway, including construction at the site, with a planned investment of $1 million to $1.5 million. The project is still in the fundraising phase, he said, adding that the figure includes hiring multiple employees.

“We’re excited to bring it to Springfield,” said Brent, who is originally from St. Louis. “When I moved down here, I fell in love with this city. Now I’m raising my 6-year-old son here and I’m happily married. It’s a beautiful place to raise children, and it’s growing like crazy.”

Brent said he considers Springfield’s ranking to be good news for the entire community.

“It’s good for the area,” he said. “It boosts the economy and it’s great for jobs. When everybody has jobs and everybody’s doing what they need to be doing, that just snowballs, and it’s a great thing.”

Brent said when he started the company, he didn’t have a few million dollars to spend creating a manufacturing facility that met Food and Drug Administration regulations and had appropriate staffing. He contracted with a manufacturer and took off that way, and today the company’s products are in 800 locations and 33 states, he said.

But he said he is eager to get rolling on Kearney Street, where he also plans to work with local companies, including some Mexican restaurants, to help them develop and manufacture salsa and other products.

“We’re looking at some other large restaurants that have reached out to us as well to help with their manufacturing,” Brent said. “We won’t be ready to take on those contracts until next year.”

The company also views itself as a potential destination, like Askinosie Chocolate LLC, where visitors can get a glimpse of the manufacturing operation while also buying products.

“You can go to Bass Pro, grab some Andy’s and stop by the manufacturing plant for Springfield Trading Co.,” he said.

Soon, the company will be doing its part to shore up Springfield’s rankings, if Brent has his way.

“It’s taking us some time to grow the company where we have capital and investment partners through private equity to bring this thing to light,” he said.

Creative spirit
Michael Eaton, executive director of the Missouri Association of Manufacturers, also views the rankings as a testament to the Queen City.

“This recognition only supports the fact that Springfield is a great place to live and work, with a strong infrastructure to support business operations and growth,” he said via email.

In a phone interview, Eaton said the area has a lot of creativity working for it.

“Certainly, in southwest Missouri the entrepreneurship is amazing,” he said.

He added that he is always meeting someone in the region with a barbecue recipe they’re eager to get into production.

“They just jump in and give it a try,” he said.

Eaton said the ranking speaks to the quality of the workforce, which is supported by a strong higher education presence, as well as availability of resources, a strong logistics and supply chain network and an innovative mindset.

“With a long history of larger food manufacturers such as Kraft and McCormick French’s in the area, the vertical integration of supply chain and service providers has been well established,” he said. “This established, supportive infrastructure in the region plays a big part in what makes Springfield a top location for food manufacturing.”

Like Arjes, Eaton noted food manufacturing is a stable market, the importance of which was clear during supply chain disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This higher ranking for Springfield in this report aligns with what we see in the national employment growth rate of 8% in food manufacturing at a time when the overall manufacturing employment growth is flat, according to this same report,” Eaton said. “In a highly regulated industry, this supports the strong business network and support systems available in Springfield.”