Believer Meats broke ground for construction of its first production facility in the United States at Wilson, North Carolina, on December 7. Once operational, the 200,000-square-foot plant (illustrated in renderings above and below) is expected to be the largest cultivated meat production center in the world with capacity to produce at least 10,000 metric tons or 22,000,000 pounds per year.
“This will propel us forward as a leader in the cultivated meat industry. Our brand has continually proven our commitment to scale production technology and capacity, and with the new US production center, we are one step closer to commercialization,” said CEO Nicole Johnson-Hoffman, chief executive officer of the Rehovot, Israel-headquartered company.
“We’re pleased to welcome Believer Meats to North Carolina,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “This important decision to build in Wilson County validates our innovative research and development and highly skilled talent pool while further cementing our state as the best in the nation to do business.”
Believer aims to make an initial planned investment of $123.35 million at the site, located approximately 40 miles east of Raleigh, and create over 100 jobs over the next three years. The facility will utilize proprietary, custom-made bioreactors that can achieve high cell densities and yield based on patented processes. In addition, it will feature an R&D and innovation center and a kitchen to host tastings, as well as offices and conference room spaces.
The groundbreaking is the latest in a series of developments as Believer prepares to bring products to consumers, including its recent rebrand from Future Meat Technologies to Believer Meats, an R&D breakthrough with cultivating lamb, and the formation of a global leadership team.
