Butler Logistics Park continues to grow with new soy facility

December 9, 2020

A new soybean crushing plant is set to  propel value-added agriculture  forward in Iowa and is now under construction at the Butler Logistics Park northwest of Shell Rock.

Mid-Iowa Cooperative, a farmer-owned cooperative based in east-central Iowa, and Mike Kinley, Mid-Iowa’s CEO, are leading the effort to create Shell Rock Soy Processing (SRSP), LLC. When operational in 2022, this plant will crush 38.5 million bushels of soybeans annually, or 110,000 bushels daily and will create 50 to 60 high-quality jobs.  

“We’re positioned to extract all the value possible from locally-grown soybeans,” Kinley said. “This plant can supply both food and fuel needs, and it will bring Butler County and surrounding areas into the center of the global ag economy.”   

Mid-Iowa will own a portion of SRSP, which will cost approximately $270 million, and is currently seeking investors for the project. Mid-Iowa will also help originate soybeans for the plant, where a groundbreaking took place mid October 2020.

Butler County REC to see benefit
 
Craig Codner, CEO/general manager, Butler County REC, says attracting plants like this is great for the cooperative.

“Butler County REC’s board of directors and employees have a vision for the future and this includes development of our six industrial parks,” he said. “The soy processing plant in particular means job opportunities for our members, revenue for local businesses, an increased tax base for the county, and load growth for us. We are excited for the potential for businesses currently in the park and businesses that
may be considering Butler Logistics Park.”
 
Codner says bringing the plant to the Butler Logistics Park was a team effort.

“With any project such as this, there are many parts that have to come together as a whole,” he said. “Rick Whalen, who was our economic development director, put in many hours toward this project. Katie LaBree, our new business development manager, is picking up where Rick left off when he retired. We have a tremendous working relationship with the Butler-Grundy Development Alliance headed by Jeff Kolb. Jeff was instrumental in attracting the plant to the park. In addition, we worked with Iowa Northern Railroad, specifically Dan Sabin and his people, and numerous other entities to bring this to fruition. I cannot say enough about Jeff and about Dan and his team. This was a true partnership with everyone’s goal the same—bring the plant to Butler Logistics Park.”

SRSP, by the numbers

The facility will produce 847,000 tons of soybean meal per year (2,420 tons per day) for livestock feed markets, 462 million pounds of crude soybean oil per year (1.32 million pounds per day), and 77,000 tons of pelleted soybean hulls per year (220 tons per day). The soymeal and soy hulls (which contain highly digestible fiber) will be used in livestock feed rations.  

“SRSP will add tremendous value to soybeans in the eastern part of Iowa,” said Mike Knobbe, an SRSP developing partner with Kinley. “This plant will also benefit the livestock sector by providing high-quality, 48 percent protein soymeal.”  

Codner says attracting business like SRSP is critical to Iowa’s rural economy, specifically the success of the Butler Logistics Park.
 
“Our partners’ vision for the park is the same as ours to help our citizens and communities,” Codner said. “There has to be a high-level of trust between all entities. The organizations we work with know they can trust us. In addition, having Iowa Northern in the park is a huge asset for us. We have also always been able to rely on the Butler County board of supervisors to support the park, and Corn Belt Power Cooperative is always willing to build infrastructure for us. Everyone involved knows the importance of rural vitality in Iowa.”

 **A portion of this story was taken from a Mid Iowa Cooperative press release.