Factor announced the opening of a new production center in Goodyear, Ariz., to further scale the ready-to-eat brand. The 300,100-sq.-ft. facility will serve as one of the largest industrial kitchens in the U.S.

Factor was born in 2013 out of Chicago, with a focus to provide RTE meals that fuel active lifestyles. The brand has been on a growth trajectory. Since its acquisition in 2020 by the HelloFresh Group, Factor has been leveraging HelloFresh’s direct-to-consumer capabilities and technology infrastructure, and achieved growth. Additionally, Factor has increased its menu offering by 75%, with meals including more keto, calorie smart, protein-plus, vegetarian and vegan dishes.

“Ready-to-eat meals continue to be one of the fastest growing segments in the U.S., and I’m proud that Factor has become the market leader in this space, providing customers across the U.S. with convenient, high-quality meals,” says Uwe Voss, CEO, HelloFresh U.S. “The addition of the Goodyear facility will allow us to increase capacity, serve more customers, and drive further significant growth to our business, all while offering a first class service. We’re grateful for the partnership with the city of Goodyear and look forward to continuing to support the local community.”

Factor has recently expanded outside of the U.S. as well to markets where there is a high adoption rate of direct-to-consumer ready-to-eat services. With its international expansion, Factor is now available in Canada (having launched early 2023), Belgium and the Netherlands, where it launched last month.

With the opening of the new facility in Goodyear, Factor says it will employ more than 800 team members who will, amongst other things, cook, prepare and fulfill customer orders once the site is fully operational. The chef-prepared, dietitian-approved Factor meals will be cooked from scratch on premise using only fresh, natural ingredients, premium proteins raised without antibiotics, and without the use of refined sugar and oils, according to the company.

Automated technology will also be incorporated in the Goodyear facility to fulfill the increasing complexity of options offered to customers, and to streamline and accelerate production. The site also features sustainable operations, such as CO₂ refrigeration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Goodyear site is HelloFresh Group’s second facility in the Greater Phoenix area with HelloFresh operating a distribution center at 1850 South 71st Avenue.