BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA, U.S. — Miller Milling Co. has signed contracts with Bühler, Inc., and Todd & Sargent, Inc., for the expansion of Miller’s U.S. flour mills in Virginia and California.

The projects will add a total of 8,500 cwts to the company’s 27,500 cwts of daily milling capacity. The announcement follows by a few days news that Nisshin Flour Milling, Tokyo, has agreed to acquire Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S.-based Miller Milling. The acquisition is expected to close March 20.

“We’ve been working on these expansions for a long time,” said John C. Miller, president and chief executive officer of Miller Milling. “It’s appropriate that these be signed prior to the Nisshin transaction being closed. It certainly is with Nisshin’s knowledge and agreement.

“These projects are primarily meant to accommodate the growth of existing customers and meet their needs. Right now we don’t have the capacity to meet our customers’ demand.”

At Winchester, Virginia, U.S., Miller Milling will be adding 7,500 cwts of hard wheat milling capacity.

“It will be the fourth milling unit at Winchester,” Miller said. “When we built the second building, we provided for this D mill.”

The Winchester mill already has capacity of 19,000 cwts, including 13,000 cwts of semolina and 6,000 cwts of hard wheat.

At Fresno, California, U.S., the company is adding 1,000 cwts of additional hard wheat milling capacity to its B mill. The mill currently has 8,500 cwts of daily milling capacity, including 3,000 cwts of hard wheat and a 5,500-cwt swing mill between semolina and hard wheat.

“The Fresno project also includes significant infrastructure for bulk flour storage, handling and loadout,” Miller said. “The expansion is modest, but the other investments will give the mill significant additional flexibility.”

Bühler will supply equipment for the mills and Todd & Sargent has been engaged for the installation and electrical work.

“Bühler also did engineering work, which began months ago and is wrapping up,” Miller said. “We hope the projects will be completed in the first quarter of 2013.”

The Fresno and Winchester mills were the first greenfield mills built by Miller Milling. The facilities opened on the same day in 1993.