Meat Processing Plant

Opened in 2022, the Riverbend Meats processing facility sits on a stretch of rugged lava rock several miles west of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Building on this location wasn’t easy. Crews had to blast through over 44,000 pounds of solid basalt just to lay the foundation. And because there were no utilities nearby, the team extended power and gas lines from 9 miles away and even drilled 500 feet deep through the rock for a new well. It took serious grit and vision to make this astounding project happen, and the result is a facility unlike anything else in the beef industry.

In fact, the finished plant was so impressive that Engineering News-Record (ENR), the top trade publication in construction, named it the Best Manufacturing Project in the United States for 2024, out of thousands of projects across the country. The award didn’t just recognize the scale of the build. It recognized the cutting-edge technology, smart sustainable practices, and innovation packed into every corner of the plant. From smart slicers and fat analyzers to seven temperature zones and a 728,000-cubic-foot cooler where the beef is aged for 21 days. Everything was designed to produce the best beef possible while keeping operations clean, efficient, and forward-thinking.

And then there’s the way Riverbend Meats handles its waste. Nothing goes to waste here. Water used during processing goes through a covered anaerobic lagoon, where methane is captured and used to help power the plant. Treated water is stored and used to irrigate nearby farmland, and byproducts like blood and paunch contents are turned into compost that local farmers love.

“They wait in line for it,” says Jay Rawlings, VP of Operations for Riverbend Meats.

That’s all part of the company’s commitment to working with the land, not against it.

Even the building itself was made with people in mind. Instead of a cold concrete box, the facility features clean, well-designed workspaces, a smart U-shaped layout for smooth processing, and separate areas for different teams to keep the whole operation running safely and hygienically. Employees have their own locker rooms, break spaces, and plenty of room to do their jobs right. From top to bottom, Riverbend Meats was built to be something better—and it shows in every cut of beef that goes out the door.