Plant-based food technology firm Nabati Foods announced Tuesday that it has completed work on its new manufacturing facility in Edmonton, AB, paving the way for an expansion of production of meat and cheese alternatives.

Completing construction on new facility allows Nabati to transition manufacturing from its pilot plant to a larger operation, fulfill wholesale orders, grow in the US market, and enter the EU market. The opening of the facility comes after the company secured $7.7 million in financing.

“There has been enormous demand for our products from across North America from all our customer categories including grocery, foodservice, and industrial,” said Ahmad Yehya, the firm’s CEO, in a company release. “By significantly increasing our production capacity, we will be in a strong position to capitalize on growing consumer demand.”

Once operational, the plant has an initial capacity of 1.2 million lb/yr of plant-based “cheeze” and 1 million lb/yr of plant-based meat alternative products. The Edmonton site will also house Nabati’s R&D department, which will expand its headcount to 15 after it moves into the facility.

“Beyond just meeting demand it is important to us to keep innovating, and this additional capacity will make that possible,” said Yehya. “Our product line is set to continue to expand with great innovations coming very soon. For example, we plan to begin production of Nabati Cheeze slices at the new facility by fall 2021, which for which we have a long waiting list from foodservice clients.”

The company’s products are gluten-free, kosher, vegan, and non-GMO.

Business insights firm Research and Markets forecasts that the global market for vegan (plant-based) cheese will hit $4.4 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 15.5% between 2019 and the end of the period. The global market for plant-based meat alternatives is also anticipated to witness dramatic growth in the coming years. Million Insights suggested this March that the value of the plant-based meat market could reach $13.8 billion in 2027, with a CAGR of 19.4% from 2019.