The Iowa-based farmer-owned cooperative, Landus, and AMVC, the ninth largest pork producer in the US, first announced in March 2022 their plan to build the mill through a collaborative partnership.
The project first broke ground in August and is expected to be fully operational in the summer of 2024.
Last week, the concrete structures, including a day bin, loadout area, and milling towers, were poured using a slipform process. The 145-foot mill took eight consecutive days to construct, rising approximately 20 feet each day, and a crew of 200 people worked 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day. The roof is expected to be poured throughout the winter. Once complete, the project will enter the next construction phase, adding milling and mixing equipment and warehouse space.
The Hamlin feed mill will allow AMVC and its clients more control over ingredient sourcing, quality assurance, and biosecurity, and creates an additional market for area crop producers, said Dr Steve Schmitz, veterinarian and managing partner, AMVC Management Services.
The feed mill will produce up to 400,000 tons of swine feed per year, generating demand for roughly 8.5 million bushels of corn and 48,000 tons of soybean meal annually. Once the project is complete, the mill will create 22 additional jobs – eight full-time mill employees and 14 local truck drivers.
“This investment into our nutritional program will provide cost savings and performance benefits for area pigs and enables us to better serve local swine operations,” added Dr Trey Kellner, swine nutritionist and managing partner of AMVC Nutritional Services.
Through the alliance, AMVC will own and operate the feed mill, while Landus will be responsible for originating grain through its network of local farmer-owners.
