Shenandoah Valley Foods closed Jan. 26 on property dormant since 2013
By Randy Arrington
SHENANDOAH — Roughly three years or more of planning and negotiations could now reach fruition in the next few months with regard to a meat processing facility being opened in the Town of Shenandoah. According to an article published Tuesday by Shenandoah Newz, the Sullivan Group LLC officially sold the former Shenandoah Pharmacy property on the south end of town to Shenandoah Valley Foods Development on Jan. 26.
While there will be no slaughtering of animals on site at 420 South Third Street, the proposed processing facility is expected to create about 20 new jobs and eventually include a retail meat market. During a recent interview with PVN, Mayor Clinton Lucas said the retail portion of the facility would be more than welcome, since Shenandoah’s last grocery store shuttered its doors a few years ago.
According to the Shenandoah Newz report, Jeff Noland of Shenandoah Valley Foods Development told the online publication that “they are still exploring how best to use the building…in a few weeks they [will] be cleaning up around the building, removing the old green house, taking down some small trees, brush and doing a little landscaping. There will be an additional access road constructed to their facility coming in from Pulaski Avenue.”
An Agricultural Subcommittee formed in 2022 by the Page County Economic Development Authority (EDA) began pursuing the idea of a local meat processing facility. The group secured a feasibility study by consulting with a company in the midwest who has experience in such endeavors from both the agricultural and business operation perspectives. The study stated there are about 450,000 cattle within 75 miles of the proposed facility in Page, and described the meat processing facility as a “strong project” based on “real data” and that the county could “go forward with a great deal of confidence.”
“This is a job creator,” Page County Economic Development and Tourism Director Nina Fox told supervisors during a March 20, 2023 presentation. “This is a great opportunity to invest and show our support for the agricultural community.”
On that evening, the Page County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to commit up to $300,000 for Phase II studies and efforts to construct and operate a meat processing facility in the Page Valley. Supervisors consider their “return on investment” the jobs created and future taxes collected on machinery and tools, as well as real estate. In 2023, jobs created through the creation of the meat processing facility were estimated to average $50,000 in annual compensation, including full benefits packages.
The Phase II funds were intended to carry the project a step further by creating engineering designs, drawing up legal paperwork, establishing more detailed plans for marketing and distribution. The feasibility study focused on a concept of not only offering meat processing, but also developing a sales and distribution network for the operation as well.
The project was aimed at not only creating a new potential market for Page Valley beef specifically, but also helping alleviate some of the backlog that exists at slaughter houses across the country. This new facility would not only serve farmers in Page County, but could serve farms in Rockingham, Augusta, and Shenandoah counties as well.
“Shenandoah Valley Foods is a farmer-focused food business located in rural Virginia,” reads a statement on the group’s website. “We are developing a state-of-the-art food processing plant in Shenandoah, Virginia along with the supply chain and sales channels needed to allow the business to thrive for years to come. The new facility will have further processing capacity for making value-added products including jerky and sausage as well as a premium capability to fabricate, package and distribute fresh meat.”
On Dec. 9, 2025, both the Shenandoah Planning Commission and the Shenandoah Council approved the rezoning of the parcel located at 420 South Third Street from Commercial to Industrial. While parking will not be an issue, large trucks are expected to start entering and leaving the property this spring. Renovations could begin as soon as March.
The cost to construct such a facility has been estimated at $8.6 million, funded by a proposed public-private partnership. However, supervisors had hoped for private investment to lead the way, whether from a cooperative formed by local producers or a large company looking to expand its operations. According to Fox, about $1.7 million had already been committed to the project from the private sector when she made her presentation in 2023. The remaining funds (or financing) were secured by the close of 2025.
While the property has been dormant since Mike Gund shut down the Shenandoah Pharmacy on May 20, 2013, it should see new life this spring. Gund operated the pharmacy for 16 years after purchasing the site from Lisa Bryant in 1997. The pharmacy was first constructed on the site by Barrett Bryant in 1971.
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