ADM plans to expand overall grind and finishing capacity for sweeteners and starches at its corn wet mill facilities in Turkey and Bulgaria.

CHICAGO —Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) plans to expand overall grind and finishing capacity for sweeteners and starches at its corn wet mill facilities in Turkey and Bulgaria.

Pierre Duprat, president of ADM Europe, Middle East and Africa

“One of our key strategic goals is to grow shareholder value through the expansion and diversification of our global corn footprint,” said Pierre Duprat, president of ADM Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Our recent acquisitions in Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary and Morocco all represent major steps in meeting these goals. And we are continuing our efforts to enhance returns on all fronts: In addition to enhancing production capacity, the improvements we have made in Turkey and Bulgaria will also improve operational efficiency at these facilities, increasing our domestic and overseas sales competitiveness.”

ADM acquired full ownership of corn wet mills in Adana, Turkey, and Razgrad, Bulgaria, along with a 50% ownership stake in a corn wet mill in Szabadegyháza, Hungary, in November 2015, and has worked since then to achieve a smooth integration into the company’s global corn business, ADM said. The plants produce a complete range of starch products, including liquid sweeteners, native and modified starches, crystalline fructose and dextrose.

In June 2016, ADM also completed the acquisition of a Casablanca, Morocco-based corn wet mill.

“We continue to see substantial opportunities for starch-based ingredients in Europe and Middle East markets, and, with these expansions, ADM will be well-positioned to meet growing customer demand across the region,” Mr. Duprat said. “By increasing production capacity and expanding our capabilities, we are ensuring that we will be able to offer our customers an expanded range of sweeteners and starches as sugar production quotas in the E.U. expire, and as demand from food and paper markets in Turkey and the Middle East continues to grow.”

ADM hopes to have the projects completed by the first half of 2018.

This is the latest in the series of ADM expansion projects. In June, ADM launched a new soybean crushing capacity at its oilseeds plant in Straubing, Germany. Straubing’s new capability allows the site to crush soybeans sourced from the Danube region in order to market European non-bioengineered soymeal and oil to customers in Western Europe.

In June, ADM announced the opening of its new feed facility in Glencoe, Minn., with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes.

The company also announced that it is investing to expand and modernize its pet food and specialty livestock feed operations in Effingham, Ill. The Effingham facility is expected to be fully operational in late 2017 or early 2018.

In November, ADM announced plans to build a new, modern feed facility to replace its current operations in Quincy, Ill. The new facility will include expanded warehouse space, enhanced capability to serve increased demand for the company’s products, a dedicated feed line for non-medicated product, automated packaging and process controls, and pressed tubs for multiple species. It is expected to be completed in mid-2018.