King Milling Co. announces a $42 million expansion that will build a new flour mill in Lowell, MI.
The company says the new $42 million expansion will bring the country's most modern mill to West Michigan, allowing the company to add six new jobs in the first two years of operation.
According to reports, the City of Lowell has approved a 12-year, 50% tax abatement for the project during its latest city council meeting.
King Milling is working to finalize permits so it can break ground on the project this summer.
Flour mill expansion stats
Once operational at the end of 2023, the new 35,000-square-foot, six-floor mill at King Milling’s headquarters in downtown Lowell will produce 750,000 pounds of flour a day, enabling the company to produce more than 2.5 million pounds per day in its four mills on-site.
The facility will include wheat storage bins, tempering bins, cleaning and sifting equipment, and finished flour bins.
“King Milling is proud of our century-plus presence in the Lowell community and the tremendous growth we have experienced since our humble beginnings in 1890,” President Brian Doyle said.
“This is the largest single investment we have made, and it will provide benefits to Michigan’s agriculture and food processing sectors for many years to come," Doyle continued.
“This expansion is part of our commitment to being on the leading edge of milling technology and producing the highest-quality flour and wheat products for our customers here in Michigan and around the country.”
Company produces flour for bakers, food processors
The company mills various kinds of wheat for a wide range of flours for bakers and food processors.
It mills soft red, soft white, hard red winter and hard red spring wheats, either individually or blended, and produces varieties of white flour, whole wheat flour and wheat bran.
“King Milling Co. has been a cornerstone of our community for generations,” Lowell City Manager Mike Burns said. “Its iconic mills are instantly recognizable in Lowell. We are pleased the company has decided to expand its operations and add new jobs right here at home.”
The expansion and job creation project is supported by both the city of Lowell and the state of Michigan. MDARD’s Food and Agriculture Investment Program grants are performance-based grants awarded to businesses looking to increase production space, expand services through a sustainable and scalability focus, create new good-paying jobs and help increase Michigan’s food and agriculture global footprint.
King Milling has been family owned and operated from its beginning on the banks of the Flat River and is now in the fourth and fifth generations of Doyle family ownership, with nearly 60 employees throughout its operations.
Today, it operates three mills using a fully automated network of steel rolls to produce a variety of hard and soft wheat products.
