Construction begins on Bartlett’s new soybean-crush plant in Southeast Kansas

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, joined other participants for a June 17 groundbreaking ceremony for Bartlett's new $375 million soybean-crushing facility in Montgomery County, Kansas. (Photo: Bartlett)

Construction is underway on a $375 million soybean-crushing facility in Southeast Kansas that will provide an important source of feedstock for producing renewable fuels, food products and animal feeds. Located in Montgomery County, the plant will be owned and operated by Bartlett, a Savage company, and capable of handling approximately 45 million bushels of soybeans annually to crush into soybean meal and refined soybean oil. The Bartlett plant will create about 50 permanent jobs when operations commence in early 2024, and support additional jobs and economic activity during construction.

A June 17 groundbreaking ceremony and luncheon were hosted by the Montgomery County Action Council in partnership with the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Office of Rural Prosperity to commemorate the start of this significant economic development project for the region. Participants included Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, and many other state and local officials, as well as members of Bartlett’s leadership team.

“We’re excited to start construction on our soybean-crushing plant in Montgomery County,” said Bob Knief, president of Bartlett. “The facility will be an economic driver in Southeast Kansas and expand markets for local soybean producers and agribusinesses. We appreciate the ongoing support from state, federal and local leaders, and look forward to serving a vital role for the food, animal feed and renewable fuel industries. We’ll support our nation’s transition to renewable fuels by sourcing up to 65 million gallons of feedstock for renewable transportation fuels annually, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 400,000 tons a year.”

The plant’s location in Montgomery County, near the town of Cherryvale, provides easy access to highways 160, 166, 169 and 400. The South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, owned and operated by Watco, will provide rail services for the facility, connecting the plant to a network of Class 1 carriers. Ground-preparation work is currently being performed by Crossland Construction Co. for the processing plant, grain elevator and loop-track system.

State Rep. Jim Kelly said bond incentives from the county as well as tax credits through the state’s High Performance Incentive Program helped make the investment by Bartlett possible.