AUSTIN, Texas, June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vital Farms (Nasdaq: VITL), a Certified B Corporation that offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide, today has announced plans to expand its resilient supply chain with a second world-class egg washing and packing facility located in Seymour, Indiana. The 72-acre future home of Egg Central Station (ECS) Seymour will build upon key successes from the brand’s first facility in Springfield, Missouri. The new facility will enable Vital Farms to continue growing its pasture-raised egg business, create 150+ jobs for the Seymour community in its first phase, and is expected to help generate over $350 million in additional revenue for the brand as we push to our 2027 target of $1 billion in company revenues.

Putting down roots in Seymour for Vital Farms’ second facility allows the brand to continue to expand its strong network of more than 300 family farms to support new farm development within a day’s drive of the new facility. Vital Farms expects this new facility, in its first phase, will support approximately 165 family farmers producing the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales.

“This is an exciting milestone for Vital Farms. We continue to invest in our robust and resilient supply chain to expand our network of family farmers and continue our mission to bring ethical food to the table,” said Russell Diez-Canseco, President and CEO, Vital Farms. “We are grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received from the City of Seymour, Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation and Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and we look forward to deepening our relationship and building an even stronger connection to Southern Indiana and its surrounding communities in the years ahead.”

“Indiana boasts a rich tradition of agriculture – one that continues to grow and evolve thanks to the vision and commitment of companies like Vital Farms,” said Ann Lathrop, chief strategy officer at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). “This investment will not only result in increased economic activity – bolstering a statewide ecosystem that generates $4.6 billion in annual exports – but it will support Hoosier farmers, accelerate rural development and support continued quality of place enhancements in Seymour and the surrounding south central region for years to come.”

ECS Seymour will build upon the foundational key learnings and successes from Vital Farms’ award-winning egg washing and packing facility in Springfield, MO, Egg Central Station, which opened in 2017 and whose expansion achieved LEED^® Gold Certification in 2024. The facility will feature similar environmental stewardship goals incorporated into the site plans, in addition to a flow-through design to improve safety and efficiency of the overall operation. Similar to its operation in Springfield, ECS Seymour will utilize industry-leading automation for processing equipment to improve overall production efficiency and quality, and will employ a world-class crew to lead the way in bringing this new facility to life.

ECS Seymour is expected to break ground mid-2025 and be fully operational at the beginning of 2027.

ABOUT VITAL FARMS
Vital Farms (Nasdaq: VITL) is a Certified B Corporation that offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide. Started on a single farm in Austin, Texas, in 2007, Vital Farms is now a national consumer brand that works with over 300 family farms and is the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales. Vital Farms’ ethics are exemplified by its focus on the humane treatment of farm animals and sustainable farming practices. In addition, as a Delaware public benefit corporation, Vital Farms prioritizes the long-term benefits of each of its stakeholders, including farmers and suppliers, customers and consumers, communities and the environment, and crew members and stockholders. Vital Farms’ products, including shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs, and liquid whole eggs, are sold in approximately 24,000 stores nationwide. Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs can also be found on menus at hundreds of foodservice operators across the country. For more information, visit https://vitalfarms.com/.

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