Eastern Iowa Farmer Fall 2018

KERNELS OF COMMERCE
31 years ago.
“This site was actually chosen
because of the lumber history in
Clinton,” Brainerd said of the
location, which today includes
three processing plants on 139
acres of property. “A lot of the
products that were made in the
early 1900s were shipped in
wooden barrels. There was actually
a barrel-making operation in
this plant.”
The proximity to river and rail
transportation also made it an
ideal spot.
Those early origins are juxtaposed
against a $200 million
modernization planned for the
more than 100-year-old plant,
which employs about 750 people,
over the next four years. The
investment speaks to the company’s
commitment to this area.
“We believe in this community.
We have a stake in it and in
our employees,” Brainerd said.
The project will include new
machinery and equipment, and a
building expansion.
“The modernization is happening
because our mill is really old,
and the equipment is outdated,”
Brainerd said. It’s costly to keep
it running in its current condition,
and equipment failure is a
risk.
“The project will help that
portion of the plant which is the
beginning of the corn milling
process to be more efficient, more
cost effective, and maximize
What’s in a
kernel of corn?
Starch
Oil
Protein
Fiber
61 % 4 % 8 % 11 %
*About 16 percent of the kernel’s weight
is moisture
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502 Main St. PO Box 186
Lost Nation, Ia
Phone: 563-678-2207
Cell: 563-320-9883
eifarmer.com FALL 2018 | EASTERN IOWA FARMER 29