The Epstein Story: Our First 100 Years – Innovation for FOOD operations

Founded in 1921 as a trusted engineering consultant to Chicago’s Union Stockyards, Epstein has grown into a leading design, engineering, and construction company known for delivering efficient, flexible and cost-effective facilities for food companies throughout the world.

Our food industry projects include processing plants, distribution centers, and product development facilities. Our engineers, architects and construction staff utilize an integrated process to produce

high performance facilities that accommodate our clients’ operations. Because we are a full-service organization, we are able to offer our clients a single source for their project requirements. We have supported clients throughout the United States and in many international locations including Mexico, Central America, Africa, Europe & Asia.

Examples of these food processing facilities can be seen in these spreads, which were taken from our recently published book, The Epstein Story: Our First 100 Years, which covers our history, key personnel, core values, as well as our project experience in various industrial, commercial and civic markets.

Vienna Sausage Manufacturing Company

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

1973

This 95,000-square-foot meat processing facility consolidated four separate Vienna facilities into one to produce corned beef, smoked and cooked meats, hotdogs, and sausage.

Continental Coffee Co.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

1958

This production plant for the largest independent coffee roaster in the United States not only helped produce more coffee, but additional products as well, including syrups, soups, mayonnaise and coffee urns.

Kitchens of Sara Lee

DEERFIELD, ILLINOIS

1964

This 500,000-square-foot bakery and R&D facility was the largest of its kind, producing frozen dessert cakes, Danish pastries and rolls that were distributed throughout the United States.

Alpina Foods

BATAVIA, NEW YORK

2011–2012

This yogurt plant was designed to both FDA and USDA standards in order to allow for maximum flexibility in product type and incorporated numerous sustainable design and energy saving components.

Glanbia Performance Nutrition

AURORA, ILLINOIS

2011–2021

Conversion of an existing distribution facility into a 550,000-square-foot powder processing plant designed to produce approximately 60 million pounds of finished goods per year.

Carnation Company

BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA

1988

This facility was the world’s largest ice cream manufacturing plant, featuring extensive refrigerated space that allowed process equipment requirements to reach temperatures down to -49°F.

A representative collage of manufacturing facilities completed by Epstein, projects for clients like Coca-Cola, General Mills, Keebler and Kellogg’s.