DECATUR, ILLINOIS, US — Primient, a producer of plant-based foods and industrial ingredients, will make a five-year phased capital investment of over $700 million across the company’s operational footprint to modernize its corn wet milling production assets and processes.

Primient said that while upgrades at its Decatur, Illinois, US, site that will total $400 million are the main focus, investments will extend to wet milling operations in Lafayette, Indiana, US, and Loudon, Tennessee, US, where operational and infrastructure upgrades are already underway in essential unit operations such as refining and drying.

“The scale of investments, particularly in the Decatur operations, is unmatched in our industry and clearly signals our ambition to be the partner of choice now and for the future,” said Jim Stutelberg, chief executive officer at Decatur-based Primient.

Primient’s investment in its Decatur operations will prioritize modernizing and upgrading feed, germ and drying processes; improving syrup refining reliability and efficiencies; and enhancing safety and equipment capabilities.

As part of the expansion, which was announced March 7, the company received a state Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credit, which provides the company an incentive for job creation in Decatur.

Additionally, Primient said it is the only corn wet miller to completely phase out coal and transition to more sustainable energy sources across all facilities as part of its efforts to differentiate its products and create opportunities within the bioeconomy.

“This doesn’t just secure Primient’s status as a market leader, it speaks to their commitment to serve as a true community partner,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said of the investment at the Decatur site. “And on every measure, it is our shared goals, from advancing environmental sustainability to promoting economic development, that bind us together.”