California-based UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) has built a new 187,000 sq ft commercial-scale manufacturing plant in Glenview, Illinois. Titled Rubicon, the plant will initially produce cultivated chicken, with plans to diversify into other types and formats of cell-cultured products in the future.

According to the company, the new facility can produce 30 million lbs of cultivated meat products annually and will house 100,000-liter cultivators.

The Illinois location was selected because of its history of meat production and logistical advantages. The company plans to inject over USD 140 million into the region and claims this will create over 75 new jobs.

Analyst QuickTake: Earlier this year, UPSIDE Foods became one of the first companies to receive regulatory approval for cultivated products in the US. Its Engineering, Production, and Innovation Center (EPIC) (although claimed to have a maximum annual capacity of 400,000 lbs of cultured meat) currently only produces 50,000 lbs per year. With the cultivated meat sector gaining more traction recently, the new facility can provide UPSIDE Foods an edge over its competitors.