REGINA, SASK. — AGT Food and Ingredients, Inc., a protein supplier and pulse processor, has expanded its extrusion center in Minot, ND, for pulse-based ingredients and extruded food products such as gluten-free pasta. US senator John Hoeven said this $10 million expansion adds 25 jobs to the plant and further supports the export of local pulse crops—lentils, dry peas, dry beans and chickpeas—to other countries. The facility previously featured one production line with more than 9 million lbs of capacity and the ability to expand to more than 40 million lbs of gluten-free pasta, making it one of the largest gluten-free pasta production plants in the world, AGT said.

“North Dakota is the No. 1 producer of pulse crops in the nation, and that comes as a result of our efforts to attract added-value agriculture investments, like AGT’s recent expansion, which gives our pulse growers a local market and reduced transportation costs,” Hoeven said. “Value-added processing facilities like this solidify our state as an ag powerhouse for the world. That’s exactly why I’ve worked since my time as governor to prioritize projects like AGT’s extrusion plant, while supporting agriculture research to strengthen our ability to grow all kinds of crops in our state with better yields and lower input costs. However, at the end of the day, all of this hinges on providing an adequate safety net for our producers, so they can continue growing the highest-quality, lowest-cost food supply in the world. That is why we continue our efforts to keep the farm in the farm bill.”

The newly renovated extrusion center joins more than $100 million worth of existing AGT facilities in Minot and the nearby area that have offered services for producers in the region and state for more than a decade, AGT said. The expansion of this multimillion-dollar facility is part of the company’s long-term plan to position Minot as the center of gluten-free pasta production and packaging in North America.

“AGT Foods is proud to open our extrusion center of excellence in Minot. This community has been a key part of our operations in the United States and in the great State of North Dakota, with this being our second facility in Minot,” said AGT Foods chief executive officer Murad Al-Katib. “The opportunity to develop and produce innovative plant-based products made in this new facility, such as our gluten-free pasta including our Veggi line, extruded crispy snacks, meat alternatives that are being used in burgers and other meat substitutes as well as pulse ingredients for food companies and some of the best-known consumer packaged goods brands, is exciting for AGT Foods and our team in Minot.”

AGT celebrated this opening with a ribbon cutting that was attended by Al-Katib and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring in addition to several members of the North Dakota US Congressional delegation, the Minot Area Chamber EDC and the local community.