Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services, broke ground on November 12, 2021 on a new manufacturing site in Verona, Missouri, to produce clean-label ingredients that are used in a variety of applications for the food technologies sector. 

The new facility, scheduled to open in March 2023, will be a state-of-the-art production plant for Kemin Food Technologies – Americas to manufacture its Proteus portfolio of patented, clean-label protein ingredients for meat, poultry, and protein-based applications. Kemin acquired Proteus Industries in April 2021, adding to Kemin’s innovative portfolio for sustainable, yield-enhancing technology to further expand its global Food Technologies business. 

The new 38,000-square-foot production plant is a $40 million investment and will employ more than 30 full-time workers in the Verona community once its fully operational. The site will have an initial capacity to create applications for more than 100 billion pounds of meat, poultry and protein-based ingredients that allow food processors to produce meat products with improved quality and patented clean-label ingredients.

“With its technologically advanced, sustainable and clean-label attributes, our Proteus line is in high demand with food processors that provide meat, poultry and protein-based products to consumers,” said Dr. Chris Nelson, president and CEO, Kemin Industries. “The Proteus products help to improve yield, nutrition and quality of functional foods, and with this new facility, we’ll be able to serve and expand our customers in the food technologies space.” 

Since 2011, Kemin has had a presence in Missouri when Kemin Nutrisurance, the company’s pet food and rendering technologies business unit, opened its first manufacturing facility in the region. Today, Kemin has two locations in Missouri—the facility in Verona and another in Sarcoxie—which together employ 60 area residents. 

“Southwest Missouri has served as an excellent place for Kemin’s production capabilities and will continue to be a great community to expand our manufacturing opportunities,” said Dr. Nelson. “We believe that Verona and the surrounding areas provide a talented and dedicated workforce ideal to grow our global footprint and transform the quality of life.” 

Click here to learn more about the expansion and Kemin Food Technologies – Americas.