November 16, 2006

 

Cargill expands Elk River facility 

 

 

Cargill Animal Nutrition officially broke ground on the expansion of its innovation centre in Elk River, Minnesota.

 

The Cargill Animal Nutrition Innovation Centre has been the main technology centre for Cargill's global animal nutrition business for 50 years, with a strong emphasis on the development and deployment of products, systems and tools.

 

The US$2.4-million expansion would be complete by June 2007.

 

The new expansion would feature three main areas: an open reception and welcome area, a conferencing and expertise wing and a technology application wing.

 

Dave Cieslak, vice president of Cargill Animal Nutrition, explained that the facility was designed to make it easier to generate new ideas about animal metabolism, animal performance and animal agriculture and ensure that the ideas reached application.

 

A primary function of the space was to bring people together, added Bruce McGoogan, laboratory applications manager.

 

Mike Craig, Cargill Animal Nutrition director of global technology, outlined that Cargill hoped to bring in more than 1,000 customers or visitor groups in the first year, more than double the current year.

 

Because of Elk River's close proximity to Cargill's headquarters, it provided a unique opportunity to bridge customers' technology gap awareness, he added.

 

The expansion would also support Cargill's focus on consumer-oriented product areas such as pet and equine.

 

The opening also coincides with the 50-year anniversary of Cargill's first establishment at the Elk River location..