United Sugars Corp. recently broke ground on a new bulk sugar storage and transfer facility in Montgomery, IL, 45 miles west of Chicago. Built and financed by American Crystal Sugar Co., which co-owns USC with Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative and the United States Sugar Co. of Clewiston, FL, the $40 million facility will be operated by USC, which will manage the sales and distribution to customers in the area.

“This facility will help meet the growing needs of our customers and affords us plenty of space to expand,” says Matt Wineinger, USC president. Benefits of the facility to customers, according to USC, include local access to sugar for efficient distribution, proximity to food and beverage customers’ manufacturing facilities, and flexibility to meet customer needs as production plans change.

The 20-acre facility consists of a 26,000-square-foot bulk storage dome, a 17,000-square-foot transfer facility and 5,500 feet of track space. The dome will measure 134 feet high and 183 feet wide and hold more than 60,000 metric tons, or 1.3 million hundredweights of sugar. Space for a second dome is available, if needed.

“Customer requirements change frequently, and this facility will allow us to quickly and easily respond to their needs and avoid interruptions in supply,” says Dirk Swart, executive vice president, industrial sales and marketing.

United Sugars’ Montgomery facility reportedly will be the largest single sugar storage asset in the U.S. It is scheduled to begin operations in late 2016.