Alexis Elmore reports on the construction of North America’s largest Asian food manufacturing site; Cologix’s latest data center announcement in Johnstown, Ohio; and Weyerhaeuser’s plans for a new engineered wood products facility in Warren, Arkansas.
INCREASED COMPETITIVENESS ROLLS INTO SOUTH DAKOTA
Photo courtesy of South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development
In a move to establish North America’s largest Asian food manufacturing plant, CJ CheilJedang subsidiary Schwan has begun construction on an over 6-million-sq.-ft. site in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The new $544.5 million facility will cater to steamed dumplings and egg roll production and the site will feature wastewater treatment facilities and a logistics center. In the company’s press release it was noted that this central location, in addition to road and air infrastructure and the state’s business climate, cemented the investment decision. Increased production capacity is projected to boost the market competitiveness of Korea-based CJ CheilJedang’s Bibigo brand dumpling, which experienced a sales growth rate of 33% in the U.S. in 2024. The project is anticipated to become operational in 2027.
AN AI-READY ACQUISTION
Photo: Getty Images
Last week, data center company Cologix announced its purchase of 154 acres in Johnstown, Ohio, as the company moves forward with construction of a new data center campus. Site plans include the buildout of eight AI-ready data centers covering 2 million sq.ft. with a combined 800 megawatt capacity. The official announcement noted that construction of the first phase of the up to $7 billion project will begin in 2025. “As the largest provider of colocation and interconnection solutions in Columbus, we are thrilled to deepen our investment in Central Ohio,” said Cologix CEO Laura Ortman. “This new eight-data-center campus is more than an expansion — it’s a testament of our commitment to high-capacity, resilient digital infrastructure that not only meets but anticipates our customers’ evolving requirements.” Currently, Cologix operates four data centers in Columbus. The introduction of this project supports Central Ohio’s growing demand for sustainable digital infrastructure.
BOOST FOR ARKANSAS’ FORESTRY INDUSTRY
Photo: Getty Images
A $500 million investment is landing in Warren, Arkansas, as Weyerhaeuser Company looks to build its engineered wood products (EWP) capacity with a new TimberStrand® plant. The project represents the company’s third location in the state, joining a lumber mill in Dierks and a plywood and veneer facility in Emerson. “This is an exciting opportunity to grow our EWP business, expand TimberStrand® into the U.S. South and provide an additional outlet for our fiber logs in Arkansas,” said Weyerhaeuser President and CEO Devin W. Stockfish. “Of the wood products we produce, EWP has the strongest tie to single-family housing construction activity, and this new facility aligns with our conviction that U.S. housing demand will remain favorable over the long term.” The site will use southern yellow pine as its primary feedstock to produce laminated strand lumber, adding 10 million cubic feet of annual production capacity. Once operational, the site will create 200 new jobs in the region.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore, edited by Adam Bruns.
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