USA – Ardent Mills has announced plans to update and expand its flour mill in Commerce City, Colorado, marking the company’s first expansion at the facility since 1999.
This project is a significant part of Ardent Mills’ long-term investment strategy in the Mountain West market, aimed at enhancing efficiency, optimizing capacity, and boosting capabilities to support growing customer demand.
The expansion will add 9,500 hundredweights (cwts) (475 tons) of daily milling capacity, bringing the total capacity of the Commerce City mill to 28,000 cwts per day (1400 tons).
This upgrade will position the mill as Ardent Mills’ second-largest flour mill and tie it for the sixth-largest flour mill in the United States.
Currently, the mill has a daily milling capacity of 18,500 cwts (925 tons), according to the Grain & Milling Annual published by Sosland Publishing.
“Ardent Mills is proud to be a Colorado-based company, and this investment furthers our commitment to and confidence in the region,” said Sheryl Wallace, CEO of Ardent Mills.
“In the last two decades, this region has experienced significant population growth, which has led to more demand for food manufacturing and supply. This project will enable Ardent Mills to incorporate the necessary growth needed to serve the market today optimally and, in the future,” she added.
The expansion will also include a new cleaning house and enhanced flour and feed load-out areas.
Ardent Mills has chosen Bühler Inc. as its principal equipment supplier, continuing a partnership that began with the mill’s last major update in 1999.
The Commerce City mill, dating back to 1936, has undergone multiple modifications under various owners, including Omaha Flour Mills, Omar Mills, Inc., Colorado Mill & Elevator, Peavey Co., and later Conagra, a partner of Ardent Mills.
The last major upgrade, completed in 1999 by Conagra, involved a US$35 million investment engineered by Bühler, which modernized and automated the facility with the addition of new buildings and milling units.
The upgraded facility will maintain its production of white, whole wheat, organic flour, and specialty flours such as spelt, as needed.
Ardent Mills’ decision to invest in the Commerce City mill reflects its commitment to maintaining a strong market position and supporting the greater Denver community.
The facility, located just six miles northeast of the company’s headquarters in downtown Denver, is expected to help meet rising food demands while bolstering Colorado’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
Construction on the project is set to begin this summer, with completion anticipated by the end of 2026.
The expansion comes nearly six months after Ardent Mills announced the closure of its flour mill in Port Allen, Louisiana, later this spring.
As of early 2024, Ardent Mills operated 32 flour mills across the United States with a combined daily milling capacity of 480,510 cwts.
With the Port Allen mill’s closure and the upcoming Commerce City expansion, Ardent Mills’ total capacity will adjust to 484,010 cwts across 31 mills by the end of 2026.
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