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Ahold Delhaize USA to build new meat packaging plant

Rhode Island facility to process items for meal solutions

Russell Redman

October 15, 2018

2 Min Read
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Ahold Delhaize USA’s Retail Business Services (RBS) arm has broken ground on a fresh protein packaging facility in North Kingstown, R.I.

The 200,000-square-foot packaging plant, operated by RBS subsidiary Infinity Meat Solutions, will handle beef, ground beef, pork and prepared meat for meal items, such as marinated and stuffed meat.

Plans call for the Infinity Meat Solutions facility to initially serve Ahold Delhaize USA’s Peapod online grocery service and Stop & Shop supermarket chain in the Northeast, a spokeswoman for Salisbury, N.C.-based RBS said. That may be expanded to include other Ahold Delhaize retail banners in the future, she added.

The plant will have the capacity to serve 500 or more stores, according to the spokeswoman.

“At Retail Business Services, we're always seeking innovative solutions that enable the local brands of Ahold Delhaize USA to provide fresh, quality products to their customers,” RBS President Roger Wheeler said in a statement. “With this facility, we're excited to enhance supply chain operations, as well as create hundreds of new jobs in Rhode Island."

RBS expects the facility to be up and running in the first half of 2020. For the $100 million project, the company has enlisted meat supplier and processor Cargill Protein to consult on the plant’s construction and manage its operations and workforce. The facility, to be located in North Kingstown’s Quonset Business Park, will create over 700 food manufacturing, supply chain and distribution jobs in Rhode Island.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Retail Business Services on this facility,” said Tom Windish, retail channel president for Wichita, Kan.-based Cargill Protein. “This new facility will deliver great-tasting, creative new meal options to grocers across the region.”

RBS already operates a similar but slightly smaller facility in Camp Hill, Pa., the spokeswoman said.

Besides Stop & Shop and Peapod, RBS serves Ahold Delhaize USA’s Giant Food, Giant/Martin’s, Food Lion and Hannaford supermarket chains on the East Coast.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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