Build capacity. Protect food safety. Modernize operations.
ARCO Design/Build helps Food & Beverage manufacturers expand, modernize, and automate production without losing control of schedule, cost, or ongoing operations. From brownfield upgrades to greenfield facilities, we deliver design-build execution aligned to throughput, hygienic design, and long-term growth.
The Challenges We're Built to Solve
Capacity for growth
Facilities must scale – whether that’s future line additions, expanded cold/frozen staging, or building-in flexibility for new products and packaging formats. We consider long-term planning alongside near-term requirements to deliver facilities that can easily adapt and grow as your business does.
Aging infrastructure
Many producers are working around outdated buildings and utilities. We help you evaluate whether to retrofit, expand, or move to greenfield – then execute with minimal disruption.
Automation and labor variability
Manufacturers are investing in automation to stabilize output and reduce labor constraints – everything from packaging and palletizing to ASRS and automated material flow planning. Our expertise in logistics automation helps you determine the best solution to maximize your footprint and enable continued up-time.
Food safety confidence
Food safety isn’t a checklist, it’s baked into layout, sequencing, finishes, and operational logic. We partner with you to understand what’s at stake and guide decisions to ensure safety and continued compliance early in the project lifecycle.
Lean internal teams
The industry’s trend toward streamlined teams may expose you to some technical or capacity gaps to manage capital projects. With our in-house expertise and strategic design partners, we are your single-source design-build partner with the experience to define and deliver the project to meet your business objectives.
Phased construction while you stay live
Expanding or renovating a food plant while maintaining production demands meticulous planning: phasing, shutdown coordination, temporary utilities, access routes, safety controls, and commissioning strategy. Our Design/Build Managers serve as your single point of accountability to oversee your project across all phases, translating your project vision into reality.
What We Build
- Meat & Protein processing facilities
- Dairy production and packaging environments
- Bakery & Snacks high-throughput production
- Prepared Foods production & packaging
- Produce handling, processing, and cold-chain interfaces
- Ingredients & Specialty manufacturing
- Cold/frozen support areas and distribution facilities
- Alcohol beverage production, packaging & campus expansion
How We Can Help
Concept, Feasibility & Planning
- Conceptual Food Plant Site Planning
- Site Selection Support
- Existing Facility Assessments
- Due Diligence & Feasibility Studies
Facility & Process Design
- Architectural Design
- Structural Engineering
- Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) Design
- Sanitary & Hygienic Facility Design
- Utility & Infrastructure Planning
Process & Production Systems
- Food Plant Process Engineering
- Process & Packaging Systems Design
- Production Line Layout & Optimization
- Cold Storage & Controlled Environment Design
Integrated Design-Build Delivery
- Single-Source Accountability
- Integrated Design-Build Execution
- Coordination of Building, Process & Utility Systems
Startup & Commissioning
- Post-Construction Building Commissioning
- System Integration & Start-up
Who We’ve Built For
Process Engineering (the way you want it)
Technology-neutral. Best-in-class partners. Built around your objectives.
We help you move faster and make better decisions by connecting you with best-in-class strategic partners for process engineering – based on fit, scope, and the realities of your operation.
This technology-neutral approach avoids “cookie-cutter” design assumptions and helps you choose the right expertise to match your operational needs. You get a coordinated, accountable, design-build delivery team – plus the right specialists – without being locked into one way of doing things.
How We Deliver
Early clarity. Fewer handoffs. Better outcomes.
Front-end planning to align scope, budget, and timeline early
Operational-first layouts tied to throughput, food safety, and material flow
Phasing strategies that protect uptime while building new sections
Automation readiness with space, structure, and flow planned for future systems (including ASRS)
Single point of accountability from concept through turnover
