Landus Cooperative recently announced the completion of their $27 million expansion to the soybean processing plant in Ralston that produces bypass protein dairy feed ingredient, SoyPlus and another $5 million invested in storage. Along with that announcement, Renewable Energy Group (REG), also of Ralston, has revealed a $24 million expansion of their biorefinery, for processing of soybean oil that is a byproduct of the SoyPlus manufacturing process. Director of communications, Alicia Heun, says this is a boon for Ralston, with the investments made by both companies coming in with a value of about $1 million per Ralston resident. Mark Cullen, Chief Animal Nutrition Officer, says SoyPlus is shipped to dairy farms globally to help producers streamline operations and increase productivity for products consumed world-wide such as yogurt, cheese and of course, milk.
The expansion will increase production by about 50 percent, and the new plant is expected to be running at full capacity by February or March of next year, for a total of 1,800 tons of meal per day. Landus Cooperative CEO, Milan Kucerak, said they are already exploring options to expand in ways that make sense for their U.S. and international markets.
Kucerak said over the past 32 years of producing SoyPlus, they are amazed and proud of the growth seen in their market and of their ability to maintain the quality and consistency that has been their hallmark.
The world-wide reach of SoyPlus is reaping a myriad of benefits for our local economies, according to Huen.
Huen, and SoyPlus Plant Production Manager, Randy Daniel, said that the new plant has created 11 new position, but low unemployment rates in the area have made it difficult to find qualified people to fill them. They say these careers pay well above the norm, starting around $20 per hour with excellent benefits, including 401K and health insurance. Daniel added they are still in need of people for these positions as they move towards 24-hour operations. Anyone interested in more information on what is available can follow the link included below.
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