By Charlotte Caldwell
[email protected]

SIDNEY — Cargill hosted an industry day at the Sidney plant on Nov. 2 — which included remarks from business and state leaders and a plant tour — to celebrate the opening of the expanded soybean processing plant.

The $225 million expansion project was announced in 2019 and was effective in September of this year, according to a Cargill press release.

“The construction side (of the project) was really during the worst period of COVID, end of 2021 and early 2022, so that did cause some challenges from a labor shortage perspective, along with taking the precautions necessary to protect the health of our employees. But I think the team did a really nice job to be able to help mitigate the impact, ultimately deliver the project,” said Justin Rismiller, Cargill’s U.S. soy processing commercial leader.

The Sidney plant is Cargill’s largest soybean processing facility in North America, and the plant will employ more than 275 people.

“The project nearly doubles the previous crush capacity at the facility, providing greater market opportunities for area farmers and feed customers through creating demand for soybeans and offering greater access to soybean meal and hulls. Additionally, customers will have an improved on-site experience, as they will be able to more quickly and efficiently receive soybeans and load out products,” the release said.

During a presentation at Cargill’s Buckeye Office, Rismiller started by providing statistics on the business and a local perspective as he grew up in Versailles.

Rismiller said there were over 1 million man-hours put into the project and zero serious injuries; about 300 construction contractors were on site on a daily basis; the expansion will provide for the crushing of over 60 million bushels of soybeans per year, doubling the previous capacity and representing over $800 million; over 1,500 customers will be served annually; and Cargill Cares donated $400,000 to local organizations and causes over the past year.

“In my current role, I have commercial leadership responsibilities for 11 different soy processing plants across the U.S. However, Sidney holds a special spot in my heart. I grew up on a family farm less than 30 minutes away from here, I went to high school in nearby Versailles, I’m a proud Buckeye graduating from Ohio State, and my first job at Cargill was here in Sidney. So while I haven’t lived in Ohio for over 10 years, I know firsthand how important the agriculture industry is. It’s a local community economy and I’m really proud of the small role that I’ve been able to play to make this project come to life,” Rismiller said.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said, “We are indeed the heart of it all. And I say that because being here today really exemplifies that, because in Ohio, we make the things that people need to live and thrive around the world every day. I’m excited to see the tour and see how all this capital investment is going to help make the process more efficient. Process more, and that ultimately means delivering food and products that we need in our lives more efficiently to the consumer which improves the quality of life for everybody because that’s what’s great about an economy that works efficiently, is everybody wins.”

Brian Baldridge, the director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture since February 2023, spoke from his experience as a soybean farmer in southern Ohio and the benefits of quicker processing.

“As far as efficiencies, as we’re sitting in line, as we’re in the middle of harvest and we’re sitting in line, and the lines are long, you get a little nervous because you want to be back out in that field harvesting those beans, so those efficiencies are huge in our day to day lives of agriculture,” Baldridge said. He added agriculture is a $124 billion industry in Ohio and impacts everyone, not just farmers.

Patrick Knouff, the president of the Ohio Soybean Association Board of Trustees and owner of 2,000 acres of farmland in Shelby County, added, “We are mainly talking about local benefits today, but our soybeans are competitive in export markets as well, and they are shipped all over the world.”

Sidney Mayor Mardie Milligan also presented a proclamation declaring Nov. 2 as Cargill Expansion Day in Sidney.

“On behalf of Sidney, we are indeed Sidney proud, and Ohio proud, and honored to be a part of Cargill’s journey to feed and nourish people across the globe. Especially knowing that products that are processed here at Cargill in Sidney, many of which are home-grown by farmers in Sidney and Shelby County and the region, come here for processing and go out to fulfill Cargill’s mission,” Milligan said.

Other state leaders in attendance included state Rep. Tim Barhorst, state Rep. Susan Manchester, state Rep. Rodney Creech — the chair of the Ohio House of Representatives Agriculture Committee, and state Rep. Roy Klopfenstein — the vice chair of the committee.

Cargill started in Sidney in 1978 with a crush facility and added the refinery about a decade later. The upgraded facility is among several of Cargill’s efforts to modernize and increase capacity across its North American oilseeds network.