Ardent Mills will be headquartered in Colorado
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The new company is expected to have a presence in the Denver area starting in 2014, contingent upon final approval of incentive packages.
Governor John Hickenlooper announced that new today and said: "Ardent Mills is an excellent fit for Colorado and will bring benefits to both rural and urban areas of the state. We want to welcome Ardent Mills to Colorado and we look forward to helping them tap into one of the nation's top workforces and our vibrant agriculture community that includes leading agricultural research institutions."
Ardent Mills will be a new premier flour milling joint venture, bringing together ConAgra Mills and Horizon Milling, a Cargill-CHS joint venture formed in 2002. Ardent Mills will take advantage of the combined assets, capabilities and experience of ConAgra Foods, Cargill and CHS to bring innovative flour and grain products, services and solutions to the marketplace.
Ardent Mills will benefit as well from an existing strong Colorado presence with ConAgra Mills' mill facilities in Commerce City and Denver, where the company makes innovative flour products such as Ultragrain. ConAgra Mills also has extensive relationships with wheat farmers, industry organizations and universities in Colorado.
"Colorado has unique advantages in the agriculture industry. We have a talented workforce, an innovative and pro-business climate and offer a company like Ardent Mills a strong and inclusive statewide industry network made up of partners, higher education, research institutions and business leaders that can uniquely and effectively support them with their efforts and ensure their success," said Ken Lund, executive director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
Ardent Mills will operate as an independent joint venture of its three parent companies, Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra Foods, Minneapolis, Minn.-based Cargill and St. Paul, Minn.-based CHS.
The company's operations and services will be supported by 44 flour mills, three bakery mix facilities and a specialty bakery, all located in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. ■