Walmart has opened its first facility to support the company’s new Angus beef supply chain, the company announced. The 201,000 square-foot facility, which is located in Thomasville, Georgia, will be operated by beef production company FLP Foods and will bring more than 200 jobs to the state.
Meat from the facility will include Angus cuts like steaks and roasts and will be distributed to 500 Walmart stores in Southeastern states including Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
Walmart first shared plans to create its own end-to-end beef supply chain last April, noting the importance of meeting customer demand for transparency and improved food quality. Less than two years after breaking ground on its facility, the retailer is ready to take its meat to market.
Senior vice president of meat Scott Neal said the new supply chain will offer customers unprecedented transparency. In addition to working with FLP Foods to run the facility, Walmart will work with Angus beef suppliers including Texas rancher Bob McClaren of Prime Pursuits, as well as Mc6 Cattle Feeders for feed.
Creekstone Farms, which is located in Kansas, will process Walmart’s beef supply. Creekstone says it hand-selects its cattle, raises them humanely and only processes cattle born and bred in the U.S. Previous reports from Bloomberg said Walmart’s new beef supply would create 250 jobs at Creekstone Farms.
In addition to transparency, owning its own supply chain will cut costs for Walmart and help it keep prices down for customers as its grocery business booms. Other retailers have made similar moves, including Costco with its own rotisserie chicken operation in Nebraska.
The move is part of a greater push by the retailer to offer fresher, better quality products. Last month, Walmart introduced fresh grab-and-go sushi to 28 stores in the Charlotte, North Carolina, market. The company has also refreshed its produce department and added more organic options.