Godshall’s Quality Meats is doubling the size of its Lebanon plant, located at 1415 Weavertown Road in North Lebanon Township.
The company said it is investing $74 million dollars in an expansion project on its 22-acre Lebanon campus.
Phase one, which began in November 2021, will add 68,000 square feet to the plant, expected to be complete by June 2023. A second phase is planned to follow, adding another 37,000 square feet.
The plant will include more than 200,000 square feet of production after the projects have been completed.
Godshall’s said that the improvements will include advanced robotics, automation, solar power, and energy reclamation technologies.
Godshall’s acquired the original plant with its 2005 purchase of the Daniel Weaver Co., which had its origins in an 1885 venture by Daniel Weaver, credited as the first individual to produce traditional Lebanon bologna in volume for commercial distribution. Godshall’s began to expand at the site in 2006 with the addition of a 10,000-square-foot refrigerated warehouse.
A 2016 fire at the plant temporarily reduced capacity but ultimately served as a catalyst for even faster expansion. Today it is the company’s largest production facility, with turkey and beef bacon being the firm’s main product focus.
Read More: World may have changed, but Lebanon bologna has remained the same
The company recently introduced a new look for its products, including a revamped logo.
“We conducted extensive research to learn what product claims were most compelling to turkey bacon consumers, and placed these desired attributes front and center on our new packaging and in our brand messaging,” Ron Godshall, president of Godshall’s Quality Meats, said in a press release.
“We also highlighted product features such as using whole turkey thighs and real wood smoke that differentiate us from other brands that utilize liquid smoke and mechanically separated turkey.”
In a perhaps surprising example of how market tastes are changing, Godshall’s said that it is now trying to act on market research showing that turkey bacon consumers would be interested trying a beef bacon. Godshall’s said its new Angus steak bacon was developed based on this research, and cooks like pork bacon but with 50% less fat. The new product was introduced in January.
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