Beef Harvest Facility for American Foods

Our Impact:

America’s Heartland Packing presented a unique opportunity for iENG to apply detailed mechanical engineering design within a highly specialized processing environment. iENG served as the engineer of record for what is recognized as the world’s first LEED-certified beef harvest facility for America’s Heartland Packaging, a division of American Foods Group.

The 800,000-square-foot facility was designed to support the full beef processing operation, from the holding barn through packaged meat. iENG was responsible for the design of the building HVAC and domestic plumbing systems, all of which were required to meet LEED-certified standards across a complex, multi-use building that included chillers as well as storage coolers and freezers.

Early phases of the project focused on detailed engineering analysis to address a wide range of building conditions, temperature requirements, and hygiene standards for both dry and wet sanitation. The facility layout required clear differentiation between “hide-on” and “hide-off” areas, each with distinct cleanliness and environmental requirements. This complexity drove a high level of coordination to properly distinguish refrigerated spaces from standard HVAC areas throughout the building.

Consistent communication, coordination, and project management were critical to maintaining alignment as the design progressed. Through careful planning and ongoing collaboration, the team ensured that all components remained coordinated and cohesive through project completion.