Clemens Food Group, one of the nation’s largest pork processors, is making a bold $130 million investment to renovate and expand its flagship facility in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. The expansion is designed to increase bacon, sausage, and value-added pork production while enhancing food safety, efficiency, and capacity.
Renovations to the existing 60,000-square-foot plant began earlier this year, and the expansion phase is set to break ground later in 2025. By the first half of 2027, the facility will span more than 100,000 square feet, signaling Clemens’ confidence in the growing demand for premium pork products.
“We are investing in this project to continue our commitment to the highest levels of safety and food safety, and to improve product flow,” a Clemens spokesperson told MeatingPlace. “This expansion will also allow us to increase capacities and capabilities in our value-added product line.”
🚧 A Look at the Expansion
Clemens’ long-time design-build partner, Gray Construction, is leading the project. Gray has worked closely with Clemens before, notably on the award-winning Hatfield North facility, a 308,000-square-foot expansion completed in 2022 that added 100 million pounds per year of smoked and cooked meats.
Alongside the new processing space, Clemens is also expanding infrastructure on the Hatfield campus, including adding 175 new parking spaces to support the growing workforce.
In parallel, Clemens is partnering with Convergent Energy to install a 14.5 MW battery energy storage system — a move aimed at improving energy resilience and lowering costs as operations scale up.
🐖 What It Means for Pork Producers
For pork producers and the broader supply chain, Clemens’ investment sends a clear signal: demand for value-added pork products like bacon and sausage is strong and growing. The expansion promises:
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More processing capacity,
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Enhanced food safety systems, and
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New opportunities for supplier partnerships and innovation.
As Clemens continues to scale, the ripple effect will be felt across farms, feed mills, transporters, and rural communities tied to pork production.
📈 A Family Business Scaling for the Future
Founded in 1895, Clemens Food Group remains a sixth-generation, family-owned business operating brands like Hatfield, Farm Promise, and Prima Porta. With over 5,000 team members nationwide, Clemens has carved out a strong position as the fifth-largest pork processor in the U.S. — and this Hatfield expansion is set to reinforce its market leadership.
Swine Web will continue to follow this story and bring you updates on how this expansion shapes opportunities and challenges for producers across the pork industry.
