US Waffle’s New Frozen Food Processing Facility, Liberty, US

US Waffle Company, a manufacturer of speciality waffles and pancakes, opened a new frozen food manufacturing facility in February 2021 in Liberty, Pickens County, South Carolina, US.

In May 2019, the company announced plans to develop the new frozen food processing facility with an investment of $22.1m. The project included the renovation of the existing building and the addition of new production lines.

The new facility consolidates US Waffle’s two existing facilities in Greenville and serves as the company’s headquarters. It will support the company’s continuous growth in breakfast products and enhance the food distribution industry growth in South Carolina.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development (CCED) approved job development credits related to the project. A set-aside grant of $200,000 was awarded to Pickens County for the costs of the project.

US Waffle’s frozen food processing facility location

Formerly an NCR Corporation site, the frozen food processing facility is located south of Liberty at the intersection of highways 123 and 178 in Pickens County, South Carolina, US. The site is situated 24km from the interstate highway I-85. 

US Waffle’s facility renovation and new frozen food processing facility details

Spanning across 310,000ft², the new frozen food processing facility houses five new production lines with a capacity for nine. The new facility will produce frozen pancakes and waffles for various restaurants and retailers. 

The renovation project included 84,000ft² food processing areas, 1,800ft² quality assurance labs, 170,000ft² of warehouse space, 8,500ft² dry docks, 25,000ft² dry storage and 8,500ft² offices. The facility meets food sanitisation and safety standards.

It has 48 new mechanical equipment roof openings and seven existing reused mechanical equipment roof openings. As part of the project, 1,550 cubic yards of concrete with sloped surfaces was also installed to minimise labour during washdown.

The construction involved the reuse of the existing building and repurposing baking equipment and construction materials. The company also procured additional recycled materials such as wall panels, exhaust fans, relief dampers, electrical switchgear, an emergency generator, storage racking, industrial sinks and furniture. 

Contractors involved

AM King, an integrated design-build firm, was responsible for the renovation of the facility. The firm provided production line layout and design consulting, processing and packaging space build-out.

AM King also handled the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) selection for the maintenance of positive pressure through different stages of the baking process and electrical coordination. 

US Waffle’s product portfolio

The speciality frozen waffles and pancakes manufactured by the company are available in different flavours such as blueberry, whole grain, chocolate chip, multi-grain and pumpkin.

The pancake product range of the foodservice segment includes Pancake with Maple Flavour and Bits, Mini Pancake (Buttermilk) and Pancake Gluten-Free. The waffles products include Round Waffle (Buttermilk, Cinnamon) and Homemade Waffle (Buttermilk, Vanilla Butternut and Homestyle).

US Waffle’s product portfolio also includes high-protein, paleo, gluten-free, vegetable-enhanced and organic options. 

Marketing commentary on US Waffle Company

US Waffle Company was founded in 2013 by industry-experienced food production experts. Headquartered in South Carolina, US, the company is a custom manufacturer for retail, co-packers, private label and foodservice customers.

The company hired 125 additional employees during the renovation and currently employs up to 500 people at its new headquarters. The company has been manufacturing and distributing speciality frozen waffles and pancakes to its domestic and international customers through its retail and foodservice, and institutional division.