A multistory modular production plant includes a vertical stack of production modules for supporting production equipment, and a vertical stack of operator access modules adjacently connected to the vertically stacked production modules to allow operator access to the production modules. The adjacently connected vertical stacks of production modules and operator access modules thereby establish multiple stories of the modular production plant. Stairs and/or an elevator may be provided in the vertical stack of operator access modules to allow an operator to ascent/descend between stories of the plant. In especially preferred embodiments, each production module and operator access module is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped which is sized so as to be accommodated within a standard 20-foot shipping container. This configuration of modular units thus allows the plant to be more quickly shipped and constructed on site.