Vital Farms Announces Expansion of Egg Central Station

AUSTIN, Texas, May 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Vital Farms (Nasdaq: VITL), a Certified B Corporation that offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide, announced the expansion of Egg Central Station, its world-class egg washing and packing facility in Springfield, Missouri. The 150,000 square foot facility nearly doubled from its original size, creating additional capacity that will enable Vital Farms to continue growing its pasture-raised egg business. The expanded facility will create even more high-quality jobs for the Springfield community and is expected to generate over $300 million in additional revenue for Vital Farms.

“Like everything across our business, Egg Central Station is a reflection of how we make decisions to support the long-term sustainability of our stakeholders who include farmers and suppliers, crew members, customers and consumers, communities and the environment, and stockholders,” said Russell Diez-Canseco, President and CEO, Vital Farms. “It’s through this lens that we’ve created what I believe is the best food production facility in the country. We provide a work experience that’s rare for production, meaningfully investing in the health, safety, and financial well-being of our crew members. We’ve also thoughtfully designed the facility to conserve natural resources and spend time supporting the community around us.”

The expansion will be LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certified and utilize solar panels, which significantly reduces electricity use and greenhouse gas emissions. These environmental updates build on the many water and energy conservation initiatives Vital Farms prioritized when Egg Central Station first opened in 2017. These existing features, that are all part of the expansion, include use of LED lights that improve energy efficiency by 50%, bioretention tools that conserve over 700,000 gallons of water per year, a water filtration system that allows water reuse for up to four hours, and a design that captures natural light and manages washroom humidity.

“Since Vital Farms opened Egg Central Station in 2017, they’ve been a role model to the Springfield business community, demonstrating how a company can successfully grow while doing right by people and the community,” said Matt Morrow, President, Springfield Chamber of Commerce. “We applaud Vital Farms for this important milestone and thank them for continuing to invest in our vibrant city.”

Diez-Canseco continued, “We are pleased to expand our presence in Springfield, a community that has meant so much to us since we opened Egg Central Station five years ago and look forward to building an even stronger connection to this city in the years ahead.”

About Vital Farms:
Vital Farms is a Certified B Corporation that offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide. Started on a single farm in Austin, Texas in 2007, Vital Farms has become a national consumer brand that works with nearly 300 family farms and is the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales. Vital Farms' ethics are exemplified by its focus on the humane treatment of farm animals and sustainable farming practices. In addition, as a Delaware public benefit corporation, Vital Farms prioritizes the long-term benefits of each of its stakeholders, including farmers and suppliers, customers and consumers, communities and the environment, crew members, and stockholders. Vital Farms' products, including shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs, ghee, and liquid whole eggs, are sold in over 21,000 stores nationwide. Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs can also be found on menus at hundreds of foodservice operators across the country. For more information, visit www.vitalfarms.com.

CONTACT:
Media:
Jessica Humphrey
Jessica.Humphrey@vitalfarms.com

Investors:
Matt Siler
Matt.Siler@vitalfarms.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/21b176f7-17f6-471c-8fa1-ffe30bc12086