Olathe Approves Walmart Beef Processing Plant

The Olathe Planning Commission has approved Walmart’s preliminary proposal to build a beef packing and distribution plant, a $257 million project that it says will create nearly 675 jobs by 2027.

The company plans to break ground this fall on the plant, which has a footprint of nearly 331,000 square feet, and will entail more than 1,000 construction and design-related jobs. McCownGordon Construction has the lead on design and construction, and the plant is projected to begin operations in 2025.

Officials with Walmart said the facility was part of a broader strategy to create “an end-to-end Angus beef supply chain.” Beef from a packing plant in Nebraska will be shipped to the Olathe facility, where it will be further processed and shipped to the company’s retail locations in the Midwest, including all of its 83 retail locations in Kansas.

Gov. Laura Kelly said the new plant would enhance the state’s position as an agribusiness powerhouse.

“Technological advances in the food supply chain continue to reshape the industry,” she said. “Walmart’s innovative new facility further solidifies Kansas’ position as one of the nation’s top food and agriculture states.”

Walmart’s announcement statement is available here.