Calgary Grain Processing Giant Grows Again

Calgary, Alta.-based Viterra Inc. has acquired 21st Century Grain Processing, a processor of oats, wheat and custom-coated grains based in Kansas City, Mo., for a cash purchase of US$90.5 million.

According to Karl Gerrand, senior vice-president of Processing for Viterra, the transaction aligns with the company’s integrated business model, and reinforces its mission to leverage its expertise and existing core capabilities to supply its value-added processing operations. Viterra operates grain handling and marketing, agri-products and value-added processing businesses worldwide.

Under the agreement, 21st Century Grain Processing’s two U.S. milling facilities – in Amarillo, Tex. and Sioux City, Neb. – will benefit from Viterra’s existing oat milling operations and its grain origination network in Canada. Collectively, the two facilities process 520 metric tonnes of flour, corn, oats and customized oat ingredients per day, and have a combined storage capacity of seven million bushels.

“An important benefit of this combination will be our ability to deepen our relationship with customers and more effectively deliver innovative customized ingredients to them,” says Gerrand. “We look forward to working with 21st Century Grain Processing to further those relationships with customers they serve in North America and throughout the world.”

In January Viterra reported sales of $986.4 million for its grain handling business, and $240.1 million in sales for agri-products.