Montana Specialty Mills, LLC has announced it is breaking ground on its new US$20 million, 20-acre processing center at the Great Falls Montana Development Authoritys AgriTech Park.

The new facility, expected to be complete by the fall of 2018, will feature state-of-the-art grain processing equipment dedicated to making non-GMO products and organic oilseeds. 

The relocation of the Montana Specialty Mills facility will enable the company to expand in markets like non-GMOs, organic vegetable oils and protein meals.

“We chose our new location in the AgriTech Park because it has the infrastructure, subdivision and zoning already in place for us,” says Steve Chambers, president and CEO, Montana Specialty Mills. “Being able to build immediately and not worry about anything else has saved us a lot of time and money.” 

The 197-acre AgriTech Park, which opened in 2016 and is owned by the Great Falls Montana Development Authority, offers customized heavy industrial lots ranging in size from seven to 300+ acres. 

“Creating a shovel-ready, rail-served heavy industrial park had been a goal of ours for years,” says Brett Doney, president of the Great Falls Montana Development Authority. “We see many opportunities, not just in agricultural processing, but in energy-related manufacturing, distribution and logistics. We are happy to see companies like Montana Specialty Mills realizing the potential of the space.”

The Great Falls Montana Development Authority invested more than US$8 million in the construction of AgriTech Park. This year, AgriTech Park was given an Excellence in Regional Transportation Award for its rail system by the National Association of Development Organizations and was certified by BNSF as part of its Premier Parks Program.