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 PRESS RELEASE 711 E. Wells Ave. | Pierre, SD 57501 | 800-872-6190 | fax 605-773-3256 | |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, Jan. 14, 2011 CONTACT: Jennifer Lambley, Communications Coordinator, 605-725-9200 Anderson Seed Company Cuts Ribbon at Redfield Facility PIERRE, S.D. - Anderson Seed Company, based in Mentor, Minn., officially opened the doors of its new Redfield facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony today. Gov. Dennis Daugaard and other state and local officials were on hand for the ceremony. “I’m very excited that Anderson Seed is establishing a South Dakota presence,” said Gov. Daugaard. “This facility is good news for South Dakota in many ways. It brings new jobs to Redfield, provides a new opportunity for our sunflower producers, and helps grow South Dakota’s economy.” When construction started on the sunflower hulling and processing plant in the fall of 2010, it was estimated that the plant would bring 20 new jobs to the area. Today, that estimate has increased to 34. The jobs include mill operators, quality control positions, office staff, forklift operators, baggers and maintenance staff. The plant will have a 260,000-bushel capacity. “This project initially consisted of a couple of bins and one employee. In about nine months, we have expanded into what you see here today,” said Stephenie Anderson, General Manager. “We are optimistic that this is an indicator of what lies ahead.” After the hulling process, the sunflowers seeds take one of three paths: kernels for breads and other baked products, sunflower kernels for human snacks, or birdseed. Craig Johnson, Executive Director of Grow Spink, said that the company will benefit the area. “Anderson Seed Company has quietly taken a commodity and added value locally to the raw product of sunflowers. The 30-plus administration and processing workers involved in providing these sunflower products are a welcome addition to Redfield and Spink County,” Johnson said. “Agriculture is South Dakota’s No. 1 industry, generating almost $21 billion in economic activity each year and employing more than 143,000 South Dakotans. Processing agricultural commodities is one of our state’s untapped opportunities and offers tremendous potential for economic growth,” Gov. Daugaard added. The $3 million project was partially financed with a REDI Fund loan and the pooled-bond program administered through the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. -30- About Anderson Seed Company: Anderson Seed Company, which is headquartered in Mentor, Minn., is a family-owned business involving Ron and Mona Anderson and their children Stephenie and Craig. It has receiving stations in Selz, N.D., and receiving and cleaning stations in Durbin, N.D. The family also owns St. Hilaire Seed Company in St. Hilaire, Minn. Media note: Video footage of the event is available in MPEG format in SD and HD quality at ftp://ftp.state.sd.us/Tourism/TSD_Video/. Please use username “tovideo” and password “TSDVid09” to access. For questions on video, please contact Scott Howard at 605-773-3301. Links:
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