Keokuk, IA – Roquette America is one of the world’s largest commodities processing companies, with 12 major processing centers in Europe, China, Korea and the United States. In 2008, Roquette America evaluated sites globally for an expansion of its polyol manufacturing capabilities housed at the Keokuk, Iowa, facility. The mannitol produced is a sugar-alcohol ingredient used in food processing, pharmaceuticals and others.
The Iowa plant had less available land for expansion, an older grain receiving elevator, difficult river dock access, constrained truck and rail egress and an outdated drying center. Roquette America utilized New Markets Tax Credits to assist in financing the expansion and upgrade at the existing facility in Iowa, preserving jobs and an important local market for grain. The expansion will finance equipment, buildings, utilities, load-out, road development and engineering costs of the plant.
This expansion creates 22 new full-time jobs. It is projected that 450 full-time indirect and induced jobs in 427 other industries in the U.S. may be associated with the Roquette America expansion. The expansion will generate an estimated $262,212 in annual property taxes.
