MANA Nutrition Breaks Ground on New 320,000 Square-Foot Warehouse Near Port of Savannah
MANA Nutrition leaders and employees held a groundbreaking ceremony on July 17, 2024, for a new 320,000 square-foot warehouse in Pooler, Ga. Located four miles from the Port of Savannah, the facility will enhance the company’s supply chain by doubling its production capacity and adding new storage capabilities.
The warehouse, currently unfinished, will be transformed by design-build firm A M King into a state-of-the-art food processing facility. Scheduled to open in Q1 2025, the facility will produce MANA’s Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and Ready-to-Use Supplemental Food (RUSF). It will serve as a complement to MANA’s existing production and storage facility in Fitzgerald, Ga.
MANA Nutrition produces a peanut butter-based paste fortified with protein, vitamins, and milk powder, designed for ease of use and long shelf life. The product, packed in foil packets, is used as a meal replacement for children aged six months to two years, who consume three packets daily for about six weeks. MANA Nutrition supplies this product to USAID, UNICEF, and the World Food Programme.
“We want to dedicate about 30 percent of the facility to the opportunity to expand production with products we don’t presently make at our Fitzgerald facility,” explains MANA Nutrition CEO Mark Moore. “This new facility will be unique due to its vicinity to a port and its ability to scale up production quickly. We shipped over 1,000 containers last year through Savannah. The Port of Savannah is the most efficient and, with our new warehouse, should be approaching the largest port for the export for RUTF in the world. If it is not the biggest food aid warehouse in the world, it is among the largest.”
Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch said, “We want to congratulate MANA Nutrition for their growth and success on this exciting development that will expand their production and distribution capacity. Thank you for your vision and the important work you do worldwide to prevent hunger. We’re honored to handle your vital product line through our port.”
GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain said, “We pride ourselves on helping our customers reach important foreign markets with speed and efficiency every day – especially the delivery of food to those in dire need.”
