PureField Ingredients Completes Wheat Protein Production Expansion

RUSSELL, Kan., Feb. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PureField Ingredients (the "Company"), the largest domestic supplier of wheat protein in the United States, today announced that it has completed the expansion of its facility in Russell, Kansas. The expansion commenced in 2020 and increased PureField's annual production by 50% of its Heartland brand protein, positioning the Company to help meet increasing demand from the rapidly-expanding wheat protein market. This expansion enhances PureField's ability to serve customers with its reliable, American-made wheat protein while supporting ongoing efforts to provide innovative and differentiated products to its food ingredient and animal feed customers.

Brad Kelley, Chief Executive Officer of PureField Ingredients, said, "By expanding our operations, PureField is helping our customers address increasing consumer demand for high-protein, plant-based, and non-GMO foods. Continued demand growth from the bakery, pet, packaged food, and vegetarian and vegan food markets, paired with recent challenges to the global supply chain, have resulted in a shortage of wheat protein in the United States. The expansion also allows us to continue supporting local farmers and, with the creation of additional employment opportunities, our community, as one of the largest employers in Russell, Kansas."

Mark Zurcher, Chairman of PureField Ingredients, said, "This expansion further enhances PureField Ingredients' leadership role in the high-protein, plant-based ingredient market. Additionally, the expansion allows PureField Ingredients to add significantly more new customers while taking partnerships and services with existing customers to the next level."

PureField takes great pride in its sustainable approach to making its products, which includes maximizing its use of by-products to reduce its carbon footprint. At its Food Ingredient facility, PureField extracts wheat protein solely from Kansas-grown wheat, which is also non-GMO. The Company also recovers starch from the wheat, which its Co-Product facility then uses to produce low carbon intensity renewable biofuel along with animal feed for local farms.

The recently-completed expansion is one of multiple projects that PureField has under development to serve the growing needs of its customers and enhance environmentally-sustainable production. PureField has also been developing a carbon capture and sequestration project since 2020 that will capture the high-purity carbon dioxoide by-product from the Company's production process and sequester it underground, further extending PureField's leadership position as a sustainable supplier. Additionally, given the very strong customer response to the current expansion and continued high expected demand growth,¹ PureField is also proceeding with a second expansion of its wheat protein production.

Purefield Ingredients is owned by funds managed by SVPGLOBAL, a global investment firm.

About PureField Ingredients

PureField Ingredients is the largest domestic supplier of wheat protein in the U.S. and produces quality food ingredients and biofuels from pure, natural Midwest grains. The Company operates two integrated plants in Russell, Kansas, including the largest vital wheat gluten manufacturing facility in North America, delivering high quality, high protein ingredients to leading consumer food and pet food manufacturers, and one of the most cost-efficient and lowest carbon intensity ethanol production facilities in the U.S. PureField takes great pride in its sustainable approach to making its products, which includes maximizing its use of by-products to reduce its carbon footprint.

About SVPGLOBAL 

Strategic Value Partners, LLC and its affiliates ("SVPGLOBAL") is a global investment firm that focuses on event-driven, special situations, private equity and financing opportunities. The firm uses a combination of sourcing, financial and operational expertise to unlock value in complex situations. Today SVPGLOBAL manages more than $18 billion in assets under management, and since inception, has invested almost $41 billion of capital, including approximately $17 billion in Europe. The firm, established by Victor Khosla in 2001, has approximately 140 employees, including approximately 60 investment professionals, across its main offices in Greenwich (CT), London and a presence in Tokyo. Learn more at www.SVPGLOBAL.com.

End Notes

¹ According to a recent market research report entitled "Wheat Protein Market by Product (Wheat Gluten, Wheat Protein Isolate, Textured Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein), Application (Bakery, Pet Food, Nutritional Bars, Processed Meat, Meat Analogs), Form (Dry, Liquid), and Region - Global Forecast to 2026," published by MarketsandMarkets™, the Wheat Protein Market is projected to reach $3.1 billion by 2026, from $2.4 billion in 2021.

Media Contacts:

Liz Bruce
Head of Communications and Brand, SVPGLOBAL
(203) 618-3672
[email protected]

Kekst CNC
Richard Goldman, Todd Fogarty
(212) 521-4800
[email protected]

SOURCE PureField Ingredients