FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, February 7, 2018 Contact: Rob Clark, Michigan Sugar Company, 989-686-0161
Carrollton Township facility will use molasses from Michigan Sugar as key liquid feed ingredient
CARROLLTON TOWNSHIP – Michigan Sugar Company and Westway Feed Products today joined local business and economic development leaders, alongside representatives from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), to break ground on a new liquid feed facility in Carrollton Township that will use beet molasses as a key ingredient.
“The exciting new partnership announced today will spark new economic activity in Carrollton Township and Saginaw County, while providing another new market for Michigan Sugar’s sugarbeet farmers and further adding to our cooperative’s strong regional footprint,” said Mark Flegenheimer, president and CEO of Michigan Sugar. “We’re proud to work alongside Westway Feed Products and all of the public and private partners that came together to make this new project possible.”
The 3,700-square-foot facility will be built by Pumford Construction Company of Saginaw, operated by Westway Feed Products of Tomball, Texas, and use Michigan Sugar-produced molasses as a key ingredient in liquid feed products. Partnership funding from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development helped to make the project a reality.
Greg McLean, Director of Strategic Development for Westway Feed Products, said the Carrollton Township location was ripe for investment.
“Our new facility in Carrollton Township has everything we need to be successful as a liquid feed business – it’s close to the interstate, close to dairy and beef production, and close to molasses produced by sugarbeet farmers throughout the region,” McLean said. “This project is a win-win-win for the regional economy. It will benefit local livestock producers, local sugarbeet producers, and allow our company and Michigan Sugar Company to spark additional economic growth.”
“MDARD is proud to invest in the ongoing economic development in Carrollton Township and Michigan’s Thumb Region,” said MDARD Director Jamie Clover-Adams. “This public-private partnership brings value-added processing capacity potential, creates new market opportunity for our sugar beet farmers, and offers Michigan dairy farmers a valuable new liquid animal feed
product. I’m also pleased to welcome Westway Feed Products to the Great Lakes Bay Region and the state’s agricultural community.”
JoAnn Crary, President and CEO of Saginaw Future Inc. also welcomed Westway Feed Products to Carrollton Township and the region.
“This development is particularly important as it is a partnership with Michigan Sugar, which has been an outstanding corporate citizen and neighbor for many years,” said Crary. “ It also will spark additional investment at a site that is very important to this community and to Saginaw County.”
“Michigan Sugar Company continues to be a pillar of our community, and we appreciate their efforts to create additional investment and jobs in Carrollton Township,” said Carrollton Township Supervisor Philip Abney. “We welcome Westway Feed Products to our community, and thank them for their hard work to forge new partnerships in Michigan and bring their business to our state.”
Scott Johnson, project manager for Pumford Construction Company, said plant construction will draw more than $1 million in initial capital investment to the region.
“Saginaw County and the Great Lakes Bay Region has been our home for more than 75 years, so Pumford Construction takes added pride in helping move our local economy forward,” Johnson said.
The new liquid feed plant is expected to begin operations this fall. The plant will employ four full-time workers and could be scaled up in the future to meet demand.
