• GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS MAP •
Food and Beverage Processing
Valves and critical flow control components are pivotal in meeting regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and safety in the food processing and beverages industry. According to a Q3 2025 report from Industrial SalesLeads,“ the Food and Beverage industry showed strong growth with 55 new capital projects planned across North America.” The report further outlined that the projects entailed significant equipment upgrades, facility expansions, and new from-the-ground-up plant constructions. Reported below are just a few of the several projects and expansions taking place across The Americas.
• By KCI Editorial
United States
General Mills Invests USD $ 54 Million in Expansion of James Ford Bell Technical Center General Mills has committed to expand its James Ford Bell( JFB) Technical Center in Minneapolis, MN, U. S., after the company announced a USD $ 54 million investment to enhance innovation, technology, and quality capabilities. The JFB is a key hub for company operations, and the expansion will add a new 35,000-square-foot, two-story pilot plant wing to increase pilot plant space by more than 20 percent. Plans are also set to provide state-of-the-art facilities for its research and development teams. This investment underscores General Mills’ commitment to driving breakthrough advancements, meeting consumer demand, and strengthening its long-term growth. The expansion will provide flexible spaces to accelerate research and innovation across the company’ s business units, offering greater flexibility to meet evolving demands and providing more space for both core growth and new business initiatives.
The James Ford Bell Center is a key hub for company operations and the expansion will add a new 35,000-square-foot wing to increase pilot plant space by more than 20 percent.
“ The new wing at our James Ford Bell Technical Center will add much needed flexibility in our pilot plant operations and empower our teams to collaborate more effectively to deliver the next generation of consumer-centric products,” said Lanette Shaffer Werner, Chief Innovation, Technology and Quality Officer of General Mills.
Anheuser-Busch Investing USD $ 9.2 Million in Cartersville, Georgia Brewery Anheuser-Busch, the renowned brewer of U. S. and international premium beers, has invested USD $ 9.2 million in its Cartersville, Georgia, brewery to upgrade equipment and fuel increased production of Michelob ULTRA. The initiative is part of the company’ s Brewing Futures project, in which they are investing more than USD $ 300 million to create and sustain U. S. manufacturing jobs.
Red Bull, Ball Corporation and Rauch Fruchtsäfte Break Ground on Major Beverage Campus in Concord, North Carolina This past fall, Red Bull, Ball Corporation and Rauch Fruchtsäfte broke ground on a 2.3-million-square-foot production, manufacturing, and distribution facility in Concord, NC, U. S., marking one of the largest economic development projects in Cabarrus County’ s history. While the total expenditure was not released, the project represents a long-term investment within the county. Operations are expected to begin in 2028 with production in full capacity by 2031. The project will feature more than 170,000 pallet spaces and utilize advanced intralogistics systems, including conveyor bridges that connect each stage of production. This closed-loop design allows products to move seamlessly from manufacturing, packaging, and warehousing and directly to the consumers, thus minimizing carbon emissions and reducing transportation impacts. Once complete, the campus is expected to support approximately 700 jobs and produce as many as three billion cans annually.
The project in Concord, NC, marks one of the largest economic development projects in Cabarrus County’ s history.
32 Valve World Americas | November 2025 | www. valve-world-americas. com