CASSELTON, NORTH DAKOTA, US — North Dakota Soybean Processors (NDSP), a joint venture between CGB Enterprises, Inc. (CGB) and Minnesota Soybean Processors (MnSP), marked the start of construction on a new facility with a groundbreaking ceremony Aug. 26 near Casselton, North Dakota, US.

NDSP, jointly owned by Covington, Louisiana, US-based CGB and Brewer, Minnesota, US-based MnSP, will own and operate the new facility. The plant, which is expected to crush 42.5 million bushels of soybeans in its first year, will produce soybean oil, soybean meal and hulls. It is planned to be fully operational in 2024 and support 50 to 60 jobs.

“As I think about this plant, I am excited because it has a unique opportunity to bring the value chain together in a safe, sustainable and socially responsible way like no other can do,” said Steve O’Nan, president of NDSP. “The value that NDSP will bring to the farmers of Cass County and the state of North Dakota, to food companies and renewable fuels facilities, and to the local community is significant. It is rare that one facility can bring all this together, and we at CGB and MnSP are proud to be a part of it.”

MnSP, a 2,300-member cooperative, has an existing soybean processing facility in Brewster, Minnesota, US, that started crushing soybeans in 2003 and added a biodiesel refining facility in 2005. 

“MnSP has always sought to add value to the soybeans grown in its drawing area, and NDSP will do the same by adding value to soybeans grown right here in Cass County and surrounding areas,” said Scott White, senior adviser for MnSP. “We would like to thank the people of Cass County and the city of Casselton, the state’s soybean farmers, state and local administrators and elected officials throughout the area for their support. We would also like to thank all of the utility and transportation providers and the countless suppliers of goods and services who have made and will make this project a reality.”

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum joined US Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, and other state, local, agriculture, and business leaders to celebrate the start of construction.

“This project is part of a tectonic shift in North Dakota agriculture and energy – shifting away from exporting all our raw commodities out of state for processing and shifting toward adding value to those commodities right here at home, reducing transport costs and improving the prices paid to soybean growers,” Burgum said. 

CGB has a soybean processing plant in Mount Vernon, Indiana, US, that was built in 1997 and recently underwent a significant expansion to increase its soybean processing capacity. The company has additional grain elevator assets strategically located throughout the United States with access to rail, truck and barge transportation, as well as other complementary businesses within the agriculture and transportation industries.