Plant construction projects in the food and beverage industry grew by more than 9% in 2015, according to Food Engineering magazine’s 39th Annual Plant Construction Survey. The survey lists planned, in-process, and completed projects that are valued at more than $1 million.
Below are more details.
General statistics
- Reportable construction projects grew 9.3% in 2015, representing their highest level in 10 years.
- 32% of these projects were new greenfield projects, an increase of 0.45% over 2014.
- 68% were renovations or expansions, an increase of 14% over 2014.
Alcoholic beverage projects and dedicated distribution centers
- The number of alcoholic beverage projects has increased steadily, with almost 10% more in 2015 than the previous year.
- At the same time, the number of dedicated food and beverage distribution centers decreased 11.32%, and distribution center projects were down by 3.5% from the 10-year average.
Industry trends for 2016
Survey respondents identified the following industry trends for 2016, listed in descending order of importance:
- General automation (e.g., process, including building automation)
- Food safety/FSMA
- Renovation/expansion to meet modern standards
- Personnel safety/welfare/training
- Robotics in packaging/pallets
- Energy efficiency
- Non-GMOs, organics, gluten free, innovative foods
- Hygienic design/sanitary design/CIP
- Separation of spaces (e.g., raw and cooked)
- Flexibility in lines/adding lines
- Efficiency (operating)
- Innovation in equipment design to keep up with food innovation.
For more discussion of the survey, see the full report.
