ARKANSAS CITY, KAS. — Creekstone Farms Premium Beef L.L.C., a supplier of U.S.D.A.-certified beef and pork products that is owned by the Marubeni Group, has broken ground on a new $35 million refrigerated distribution center at its plant in Arkansas City.

The 41,334-square-foot warehouse will include an automated storage and retrieval system capable of handling 27,000 boxes in a nine-hour day with more than 37,000 box storage locations, Creekstone Farms said. The distribution center is expected to be operational by the fall of 2019.

“This new distribution center will help our company manage our expanding business and ensure that we continue to meet our customers’ service level expectations,” said Kazunobu Nomura, president and chief executive officer of Creekstone Farms. “This major investment by the Marubeni Group shows the commitment that Creekstone’s parent company has in Creekstone Farms, its employees and customers. We are very excited to get this project completed as it will be a catalyst allowing for growth to meet our customer demands.”

Creekstone Farms supplies U.S. grocers and restaurants with a variety of meat products, including Black Angus beef, antibiotic-free Duroc pork and value-added products. The company also exports products to Europe, Latin America and Asia.