Bühler and Ardent Mills celebrate opening of new state-of-the-art mill in Florida

Strengthening supply chain agility and product consistency

01-Apr-2022 - Switzerland

The Swiss technology group Bühler and Ardent Mills, a leading milling and ingredients company headquartered in Denver, USA, celebrated the opening of Ardent Mills' new Port Redwing mill in Gibsonton, Florida. The mill, which features Buhler's most advanced milling technologies, is already in operation and contributes to both companies' commitment to innovation and sustainable development in the food industry.

Bühler

Ardent Mills' new Port Redwing facility in Gibsonton, Florida, stands out among the world's mills.

The opening ceremony took place on Friday, March 25, 2022, at the Ardent Mills Port Redwing facility in Gibsonton, Florida. From Ardent Mills, Dan Dye, CEO, Heather Dumas, chief people officer, John Barton, chief financial officer, Angie Miller, vice president of sales, Troy Anderson, vice president of operations, and others were on hand to celebrate how Ardent Mills and Bühler are changing the way the world is fed. From Bühler, Stefan Scheiber, CEO of the Bühler Group, Johannes Wick, CEO of Grains & Food at Bühler, and Andy Sharpe, President & CEO of Bühler North America, were in attendance.

Stefan Scheiber, CEO of the Buhler Group, said, "The Port Redwing mill is another highlight in the great relationship between Buhler and Ardent Mills. It is encouraging to work with an inspiring customer, to drive innovation through collaboration, and to implement the most advanced and efficient wheat processing solutions in the U.S. This is an important milestone for Bühler and another good example of innovation for a better world."

"Port Redwing is a testament to Ardent Mills' commitment to changing the world's food and driving innovation - and we couldn't have done it without Bühler," said Dan Dye, CEO of Ardent Mills. "Bühler has been an outstanding partner every step of the way, enabling us to integrate the insights and technologies we needed to build this new state-of-the-art facility. With the Port Redwing Mill, we are entering a new era in the milling industry."

Ardent Mills is one of Bühler's longstanding customers in North America, and the partnership goes back several decades. The U.S. company is a joint venture between Cargill and Horizon Milling, whose roots go back to 1867 with its steam-powered mill in the prairie town of Grand Island, Nebraska, and is one of North America's largest flour suppliers. Ardent Mills operates in more than 40 locations and specializes in flour, quinoa, legumes, and organic and gluten-free products that drive new diets and innovation in plant-based ingredients.

Innovating to meet customer needs

Construction of the Port Redwing facility began in 2019 and was completed in March 2022. The mill project includes two mill units (with production capacities of 750 tons per day and 300 tons per day, respectively). Ardent Mills has kept an eye on market growth and has made room for a potential third mill in the future. The Port Redwing mill produces all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, high gluten flour, cake flour, and bread flour. Buhler supplied the cleaning system, the mill, the finished product storage system, the batch blending system, the engineering, installation, monitoring, and commissioning of the plant.

Buhler's fully integrated Arrius system is a key component of the Port Redwing mill, enabling an integrated and self-regulating grinding system that represents a fundamental shift in the way millers can control the quality and consistency of their products. In addition to optimal grinding performance, Arrius benefits include reduced energy costs, increased personnel safety, quick installation, digital control, improved food safety, and reduced initial investment in equipment.

"The ability to deliver safe and consistent products to our customers day after day is our greatest competitive advantage," said Steve Neely, Port Redwing operations manager. "We are grateful for our partnership with Bühler - together we have built a state-of-the-art facility that realizes our vision of being a reliable partner and meeting the ever-evolving needs of our customers."

The facility is located on a 10-acre site and is strategically located for access by rail, ship, and truck. It includes a mill, grain elevator and cleaning house, as well as an office and several packing and storage rooms. The mill is also implementing a five-year plan for paperless, waste-free and energy-efficient production.

"This facility was built and commissioned in the last two years, and in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic. This is a testament to the partnership between Ardent Mills and Bühler that has strengthened over the course of this project. I am incredibly proud of the work done by our North American team and our global supply chain team. They have successfully persevered despite the challenges during this time. This is the embodiment of Buhler's values and culture," said Andy Sharpe, President & CEO of Buhler North America.

"The opening of the state-of-the-art mill in Tampa is a personal dream come true. We have been involved from day one, trying to develop an industry-changing concept with the lowest possible energy consumption while achieving the highest yields, making this mill a global leader also in terms of its carbon footprint (CO2equivalent)," said Johannes Wick, CEO Grains & Food at Bühler.

Solutions for optimal efficiency

The mill was designed for optimal performance with easy access to equipment for maintenance. Real-time data analysis and automation includes the industry's first near-infrared (NIR) grain analysis and high-speed automated packing lines. Rapid production line intervention and incident management allow the production line to be stopped, evaluated, and corrected as needed with minimal downtime. The mill has also increased on-site storage capacity up to 4.1 million bushels, which is critical for managing sudden supply chain shifts or in the event of a natural disaster.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

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Topic world Food safety

Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.

View topic world

Topic world Food safety

Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.