Land O’Frost, Inc. officially commenced construction on its new corporate headquarters facility located at 630 Hagburg Drive in Munster, Ind.

“We are creating a space that encourages collaboration, supports research and development and will help us attract and retain the best talent in our industry,” says David VanEekeren, president and CEO. “We are confident this new facility will serve as a platform for sustained growth and help us continue to provide innovative meat products to the marketplace for years to come.”

Land O’Frost, which currently employs more than 1,100 manufacturing employees at its four production plants in Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas and Nebraska, plans to move its headquarters employees into the new building in the fall of 2014. The move will bring 50 new jobs and industry leaders in sales, marketing, innovation and supply chain operations to the Northwest Indiana region.

In addition to housing the Land O’Frost headquarters staff, the new 27,000-square-foot facility will include a fully operational and independent pilot plant and high-tech test kitchen that will help the company continue to develop new and innovative products and recipes faster and more efficiently.

The new Land O’Frost headquarters facility includes a sustainable design, which positions the structure well for future LEED certification. Other green features include a green roof to help conserve energy and control temperature, natural lighting in all working spaces to lower electricity use and strategic landscaping to minimize water run-off and maximize of natural filtration.

The facility was designed by Wight & Co., a full-service architecture, construction, engineering and environmental firm based in Darien, Ill.