Conagra Brands Oakdale Plant

For years, SSR has operated as an embedded extension of Conagra Brands’ engineering and capital projects team at its Oakdale, California, processing facility. Rather than serving as a traditional outside consultant, SSR’s on-site team functions as the plant’s engineering and capital project management resource, providing cradle-to-grave leadership for capital investments that support one of Conagra’s most important food processing operations.  

The Oakdale facility is a major agricultural processing plant that handles large-scale tomato production and bean processing, serving as a critical component in Conagra’s food manufacturing network. During the annual tomato harvest season, hundreds of truckloads of tomatoes arrive daily for processing, creating a highly compressed operating schedule that requires careful planning, coordination, and execution of capital improvements. 

Comprehensive Capital Project Management 

SSR’s Oakdale team acts as Conagra’s trusted representative throughout the entire project lifecycle. Responsibilities include: 

• Developing capital project budgets and cost estimates 
• Coordinating project approvals through Conagra’s corporate capital authorization process 
• Managing engineering and design efforts 
• Procuring and coordinating contractors and vendors 
• Overseeing construction activities 
• Monitoring safety, scope, schedule, and budgets 
• Reviewing invoices and project documentation 
• Startup and commissioning 
• Managing project closeout and turnover activities  

This integrated approach allows Conagra to leverage SSR as a seamless extension of its staff while maintaining consistent execution across a diverse portfolio of projects. 

Supporting Continuous Facility Improvements 

At any given time, SSR manages numerous active projects across the Oakdale campus. Recent efforts have included: 

• Bean kettle replacement projects 
• Bean mill upgrades 
• Canning building roof replacement 
• Agricultural operations truck wash improvements 
• Compressed air system upgrades 
• Product coding system improvements 
• Facility door and infrastructure upgrades  

Because many projects must be completed before the annual tomato harvest and processing season begins, SSR carefully plans and executes improvements during limited windows of opportunity to ensure uninterrupted plant operations.  

Delivering Long-Term Value 

Over the course of its relationship with Conagra, SSR has helped manage hundreds of millions of dollars in capital improvements while providing strategic oversight, engineering leadership, and construction management services. The partnership reflects SSR’s ability to integrate directly into a client’s organization, providing trusted expertise that extends beyond project delivery into ongoing operational support and capital planning.  

Today, SSR continues to support Conagra’s Oakdale facility by identifying capital needs, advancing facility modernization initiatives, and ensuring critical infrastructure and processing systems remain positioned to meet future production demands.