ConAgra Unveils New Oakland Mill

OMAHA, Neb. - ConAgra recently hosted a community celebration at its Oakland Mill, which has received operational and sustainable upgrades. The 100,000 square-foot facility operates 24 hours a day, and employs around 40 people, ConAgra said.

The Oakland Mill ships 1.4 million pounds of flour daily to local and regional bakeries, restaurants, retail operations and food companies. Originally built as a grain storage elevator in 1927 and then converted to a flour mill in 1965, the Oakland Mill is situated along the Oakland estuary, adjacent to Jack London Square in Omaha. ConAgra reports pouring $21.7 million in upgrades into the facility.

With the goal of bringing efficiencies to the entire supply chain, plant improvements include wireless mobile technology, an industry first featuring an automated, programmable logic controller (PLC); sustainability upgrades such as LED lighting throughout the plant; and upgraded milling capacity, allowing the mill to double its original production of flour.  Currently running on the Bay Area’s residential power grid, ConAgra Mills is working with PG&E to curtail power consumption during peak periods. ConAgra Mills is also revolutionizing packaging with a new polybag packer — a recyclable and more durable shipping bag that is the first of its kind in the U.S. milling industry — that replaces the standard three-ply paper packaging.  “This is the first mill in the country to fully convert to a polybag system, helping us to maintain top quality, reduce waste and improve our customers’ experiences,” said Jim Otwell, Oakland-based national sales manager for ConAgra Mills.