Construction begins in Ohio on new soybean plant

At a June 27 ceremony, from left, Anne Vogel, director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency; Kyle McColly, mayor of Upper Sandusky, Ohio; Diego Pereyra, global head of industry, Louis Dreyfus Co.; Rusty Goebel, board president of the Ohio Soybean Association; Michael Gelchie, chief executive officer, LDC; Ohio Governor Mike DeWine; Juanjo Blanchard, global chief operating officer, LDC; Gordon Russell, US head of grains and oilseeds, LDC; and Todd Trefren, head of industry for North America, LDC.

| Source: Louis Dreyfus Co.

WILTON, CONN. — Construction has begun on Louis Dreyfus Co.’s soybean processing plant in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. The company celebrated the start of the project with a groundbreaking ceremony on June 27.

To be completed in March 2026, the facility, first announced by Wilton-based LDC last October, will have the capacity to crush 1.5 million tonnes of soybeans annually, producing 320,000 tonnes of soybean oil.

“The new facility will boost LDC’s presence in growing edible oil and animal feed markets, and create opportunities in renewable energy feedstock markets, further reinforcing LDC’s position as a trusted partner to food, feed and energy industry customers,” the company said.

LDC said the facility will have over 100 employees locally and will complement the company’s regional industrial and logistics network.

In the month since announcing plans for the plant, LDC announced plans for a pea protein plant in Yorkton, Sask. Earlier in 2023, the company said it was expanding its canola processing complex, also in Yorkton.