Grain Processing Corporation (GPC), member of the Kent Corp. family of companies, is now manufacturing significantly more of the high-quality alcohol its plants in Muscatine, IA and Washington, IN.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, GPC has supported the manufacture of millions of gallons of ethyl alcohol to support the production of essential products in the fight against Covid-19 including: hand sanitizers, disinfectants, cleaners and surfactants, mouthwash, cough and cold medicines, and in the manufacture of active pharma ingredients, vaccine components and Covid-19 testing reagents.
Originally announced in May 2015, the multi-year, multi-million dollar capital investment and expansion took thousands of engineering hours and leveraged the expertise of GPC’s workforce to increase the amount of value-added ingredients made from the kernel of corn.
“To produce alcohol to 1 ppm or less total impurities, there are no short cuts,” says Pat Homoelle, president of GPC. “Our world-class quality sets us apart and is recognized by our trusted partners who depend upon us to consistently craft gallon after gallon for a range of products from beverage alcohol to pharmaceutical-grade applications.”
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to meet increased demand for high-purity alcohol, the project timeline was successfully compressed by nearly eight months and completed early as a result of dedication, expertise and flexibility. The original start-up date was July 2021.
“The accelerated completion of the distillery during the pandemic will go down as one of Kent Corporation’s greatest success stories during very challenging circumstances,” says Homoelle.
This expansion is an exciting step toward sustainable success for employees, communities and customers. To GPC’s knowledge, the new distillery is the largest and most efficient in the world.
To accelerate construction, significant additional contractor labor and overtime hours were used and deliveries on equipment and piping-related materials were fast-tracked. To support timely construction and procurement, considerable project management and contractor oversite took place by multiple engineers. In addition, an incredible amount of time and attention were dedicated to safety and training by GPC engineering, production, and maintenance personnel prior to the new distillery launch.
GPC’s ethyl alcohol products are also offered as non-GM.
About Grain Processing Corp.
Grain Processing Corp. is a leading manufacturer of pure alcohol, maltodextrins, starches as well as co-products for the animal nutrition industry.
About Kent Corp.
Kent Corp. is a diversified, privately-held corporation with operating subsidiaries involved in corn wet milling, the production of animal nutrition and the manufacture of high-quality food, beverage, pharmaceutical and pet products.
