The new Meats & Foods Industry Advancement Center at the University of Kentucky will support the Commonwealth’s multibillion-dollar animal agriculture industry while expanding opportunities for education, research, and workforce training. The new facility is located at the C. Oran Little Research Center in Versailles with the tentative substantial completion date of July 2026 and will serve as a collaborative hub or food safety training, meat science research, and food production.
Designed as a “hoof-to-package” teaching and processing facility, the building allows livestock to be received, processed, packaged, and prepared for sale within the same space. Students will gain hands-on experience in real processing environments while farmers, producers, and food businesses across Kentucky benefit from expanded resources and training programs.
Our Scope and Systems
Supporting a facility designed for research, education, and food production requires a wide range of mechanical systems working together behind the scenes. TP Mechanical is responsible for delivering the full mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC scope for the Meats & Foods Industry Advancement Center.
TP Mechanical’s scope includes installation of:
- Four hygienic air handling units designed for food processing environments
- Three rooftop units
- One makeup air unit
- Exhaust fans serving processing and ventilation areas
- Cooler refrigeration equipment
- Mechanical piping, gas piping, and compressed air piping systems
- Plumbing systems and sanitation hose reel stations throughout the facility
In total, the project includes 26 pieces of mechanical equipment supporting the building’s processing, ventilation, and refrigeration needs.
Innovation and Coordination with Project Partners
Although the facility is just over 27,000 square feet, it contains a high concentration of mechanical systems to support processing, refrigeration, ventilation, and sanitation. The amount of equipment within a relatively small footprint required careful coordination between TP Mechanical, Messer Construction, and other trades throughout the project.
Fabrication played a major role in keeping the project on schedule. Approximately 85 percent of TP Mechanical’s scope was fabricated, including pump skids, boiler skids, ductwork, piping assemblies, and bathroom groups. Preparing these systems in advance allowed crews to deliver components ready for installation and to reduce congestion on site.
The project has also required flexibility in the field. High winds forced the team to reschedule a planned crane lift for rooftop equipment installation. Despite challenges like this and an aggressive schedule that began in June 2025, the team has maintained steady progress.
With a large amount of work packed into a small building, strong coordination and teamwork have been essential to keep the project moving forward.
Team Leadership
This project would not be possible without the dedication of the TP Mechanical team in the field. Superintendent Nick Sulfridge has led day-to-day operations on site, ensuring crews stay coordinated and work continues to move forward. Project Coordinator Tyler Tremain has played a key role in planning and coordination, helping manage prefabrication, materials, and installation sequencing to keep the project on track.
Building the Infrastructure that Supports Kentucky Agriculture Today and the Professionals Who Will Lead It Tomorrow
At TP Mechanical, we take pride in building environments that not only support today’s industries but also help train and inspire the professionals who will lead them tomorrow. Once complete, the Meats & Foods Industry Advancement Center will play an important role in educating students, supporting producers, and strengthening Kentucky’s animal agriculture industry across the Commonwealth. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a facility that will advance research, workforce development, and food production for years to come.
