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www.newstrib.com | Thursday, September 19, 2019 | 75 cents
‘It means a lot to Mendota’
NEWSTRIBUNE PHOTOS/SCOTT ANDERSON
Did you know that the largest flour mill in North America built from the ground up is located in Mendota? Acher Daniels Midland opened its high-capacity mill in Mendota on Wednesday. Gathered at a ribbon-cutting ceremony were Junior Rodgers, global operations director, ADM Milling; state Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa); Illinois agriculture director John Sullivan; Veronica Braker, senior vice president global operations, ADM; Chris Cuddy, senior vice president and president of Carbohydrate Solutions, ADM; James Harper, Mendota mill manager, ADM Milling; Tim Schaal, vice president milling operations, ADM Milling; Jeff Stutheit, regional operations director, ADM Milling; and Kevin Like, president, ADM Milling.
New ADM Flour Mill to employ 30-40 By Ali Braboy
NEWSTRIBUNE REPORTER
MENDOTA — North America’s largest flour mill — built from the ground up in one project — now resides in Mendota. The new Archer Daniels Midland Flour Mill can produce over 3 million pounds of flour per day (30,000 cwts to be exact) and employ 30-40 people. “We’re proud to be here, to work here, to live here and to give back here,” said Kevin Like, president of North American Flour Milling at ADM Co. Wednesday, ADM held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with 200250 people in attendance celebrating the mill’s opening. The facility, for which construction began in June 2017, can mill spring, winter and soft wheat varieties plus two types of whole wheat.
Production started this summer. “It means a lot to Mendota,” said Emily McConville, Mendota’s city clerk and economic development director. “We’ve had some bad news in the last couple of months.” The ribbon-cutting comes on the heels of the announcement of the upcoming closing of Del Monte. That announcement blindsided city officials, as the company made the announcement in August that 111 full-time and 362 seasonal employees would be eliminated. McConville said working with ADM has been a wonderful experience, and she knows they treat their employees well. “And as far as the community goes, I know that the more ADM invests in Mendota, the more they will invest in the future in Mendota,” she said. Why did ADM choose
By Jeannine Otto
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
James Harper, plant manager at ADM Flour Mill in Mendota, leads a tour of the new facility Wednesday. and food ingredient providers, Mendota for the mill? ADM, one of the world’s already had an existing ADM largest agricultural processors See ADM Page A2
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MENDOTA — A new stateof-the-art flour milling facility in Mendota is not only a boost for jobs and the local and regional economy, it could provide another cropping option for farmers. “Whenever you add domestic processing, it’s good for the farmer,” said Kevin Like, president of ADM Milling. Like spoke at the grand opening and ribbon cutting for the new 30,000 hundredweight flour mill in Mendota on Wednesday. One Illinois wheat grower who welcomed the new plant was Illinois director of agriculture John Sullivan, who also See WHEAT Page A2
Can mediator prevent strike at Mendota?
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New facility could boost local, state wheat production
By Craig Sterrett NEWS EDITOR NEWSTRIBUNE PHOTO/SCOTT ANDERSON
Standing among abut 50 members of the Mendota Education Association, Veronica Becker from Mendota, addresses the Mendota Grade School Board in a public comment portion of the school board meeting on Wednesday.
MENDOTA — In a show of strength and unity, about 50 teachers crowded into the boardroom for Wednesday’s Mendota Grade School Board meeting.
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The teachers’ union filed an intent-to-strike notice at the beginning of September. The same teachers, along with the representatives of their union, plan to show up outside of Northbrook Elementary School again this evening prior to a meeting with a federal mediator. The parties scheduled another mediation session for Oct. 1, if needed. The board could strike on Oct. 16 unless mediation produces an See TEACHERS Page A4