On the north side of Jefferson, a 226,000 square foot facility once used to produce and export soy flakes for tofu has been sitting idle since 2010.
Landus Cooperative is breathing new life into the already modern site as it transitions it to distribute, and eventually manufacture, cattle feed.
Set to open this summer, the farmer-owned cooperative will manufacture and sell cattle nutritional products for bulk feed pick-up and delivery. Dairy feed will be available as well.
“We’ve been researching ways to bring this idled building back to life,” said Mark Cullen, chief animal nutrition officer for Landus Cooperative. “This investment in our feed division is one way we want to show our continued commitment to area livestock producers.”
Customers can expect the following available at the new site this summer:
• Bulk feed pick-up and delivery
• Grain bank available as at other feed location
• Texturized feed immediately with pelleted feed to be available in coming months
• Access to a team of nutrition experts
The facility, which will be managed by Chris Wallace, Landus Cooperative feed operations manager, was announced at the Greene County Cattlemen’s Association annual banquet on Saturday.
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We’ve been listening to our feed customers, and we’ve identified a need for this in the community,” Wallace said. “We are very excited to serve you.”
The Beef Feed Center is located in Jefferson, adjacent to the Landus Cooperative grain, agronomy and SoyChlor operations. Customers should access the site from the south via E. Central Ave.
“Landus Cooperative is proud to invest in the community with projects like this that will generate value for the membership and fulfill a local need,” added Cullen.
The process for transforming the site into a beef feed center will be a multi-phase process. Landus Cooperative is currently removing the soy flaking equipment and replacing it with beef feed mixing equipment in time for the summer opening. Eventually, the company plans to sell bagged feeds as well as tubs and other nutritional products at the site.
Originally built in 1999 by a Japanese soy foods company to manufacture soy flakes for tofu, the facility was acquired by the cooperative via a merger in 2012. The 226,000 square foot facility has not produced product since about 2010. The site is currently assessed at $725,000.
