Local Bounti opens Texas CEA facility

Construction of Local Bounti Corp.’s latest greenhouse in northeast Texas signals the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operator’s commitment to reduce food miles throughout the U.S., according to a news release.

On Jan. 4, Local Bounti broke ground for the state-of-the-art indoor facility in Mount Pleasant, Texas, northeast of Dallas. Officials of the Hamilton, Montana-based CEA operator stated the facility shows the company’s commitment to “growing locally and distributing nationally” with one of the industry’s largest distribution footprints, according to the release.

Construction on the 6-acre facility is scheduled to start immediately after the groundbreaking ceremony. The facility is expected to begin operating during the fourth quarter of 2023. The operation is designed to utilize Local Bounti’s proprietary Stack & Flow Technology to grow and sell its indoor grown line of packaged leafy greens.

The addition of the northeast Texas plant is designed to strengthen Local Bounti’s distribution throughout Texas and the neighboring states of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, but also Mississippi, Kansas and Missouri. Additionally, the facility is designed to provide additional capacity to meet existing demand from Local Bounti’s direct relationships with the region’s retailers and distributors, according to the release.

“Local Bounti is excited to call Mount Pleasant home to our latest facility in a rapidly expanding national footprint,” Craig Hurlbert, Local Bounti’s co-founder and co-CEO, said in the release. “Future local operations will help us answer existing customer demand within the Lone Star State and adjacent markets. Today’s announcement comes at a time when demand is surging across the country for our sustainable produce, and we are excited to establish a new regional base of operations where we can continue to reduce food miles.”

Construction is expected to generate approximately 50 direct jobs in Mount Pleasant. Another 200 indirect jobs are forecast to begin once operational, according to the release.

“Mount Pleasant is thrilled to welcome Local Bounti to the region,” Nathan Tafoya, executive director of the Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corp., said in the release “With its innovative and proprietary CEA approach, Local Bounti adds a much-desired agri-tech ingredient to Mount Pleasant’s rich history in food production. We’ve already begun integrating workforce training and partnership conversations with our college’s Ag program. As Local Bounti’s chosen Texas location for a multimillion-dollar investment, and multiple planned phases, Mount Pleasant looks forward to growing with Local Bounti for many years to come.”

Constructing one of the largest networks of high-tech CEA facilities in the U.S., Local Bounti works to grow sustainable fresh produce throughout the year, providing consumers with extended shelf life versus traditional farming methods, according to the release.

Local Bounti’s leafy greens varieties include spring mix, butter lettuce, romaine crisp, green leaf, and additional blends.

PHOTO: Local Bounti broke ground on its newest controlled environment agriculture plant in Mount Pleasant, Texas, in northeast Texas.