MGP Ingredients Inc., Atchison, KS, will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year. Observances tied to the theme “75 Years Strong” will occur throughout the year, with companywide celebrations being planned for this spring.
MGP was founded by Cloud L. Cray Sr., a Detroit investment banker who visited Atchison in 1941 to inspect an idled alcohol plant with the intention of having its equipment dismantled and reassembled in Michigan. However, Cray’s fondness for the Kansas community, along with persuasive efforts by town leaders, inspired him to rethink this plan. The entrance of the United States into World War II in December 1941, and the government’s increased need for industrial alcohol, convinced him to purchase the plant and immediately reopen it at its present site as Midwest Solvents Co. Inc.