July 15th 2025
Qore launches in Eddyville, Iowa, ushering in large-scale corn processing for bio-based solutions.
The $300 million center in Iowa will turn locally grown corn into a plant-based chemical that can be used to make consumer goods.
Next week, Cargill will cut the ribbon on a pioneering new manufacturing center in Eddyville, Iowa that it describes as the world’s largest biotech facility producing a plant-based material, which will be used to make apparel, footwear, personal care and automotive products, electronics, and packaging.
The new bio-industrial facility called Qore, a joint venture of Minnesota-based Cargill and Germany-based HELM, reflects years of development and a $400 million investment in creating an alternative to fossil derived material. The result is QIRA, the world’s first large-scale 1.4-butanediol (BDO) made from locally grown corn. It is designed to serve as a sustainable alternative to a fossil-derived equivalents, which burn coal for energy. QIRA uses corn starch to achieve the same outcome. Coal puts carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; corn starch takes it out.
Qore CEO Jon Veldhouse said it marks a major step forward in meeting global demand for more sustainable materials in everyday consumer products. LYCRA is among the major textile brands already signed on.
“This facility enables more farming and rural development in the Midwest,” and “QIRA brings in a great opportunity to bring different options to the market,” Veldhouse said.
At the heart of these environmental benefits are Iowa farmers who apply regenerative agriculture practices for growing dent corn, which is a type of field corn with a high soft starch content. These practices are an inclusive approach to land management, meant to restore soil and ecosystem health. The proximity of the feedstock enables greater traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain.
“By offering a bio-based alternative to fossil-based feedstock, we are empowering brands to reduce their environmental impact and respond to consumer demands for transparency, more sustainable, high-performing products,” said Steve Kuiper, a fourth-generation Iowa farmer. “Our community is proud to play a vital role in making everyday products more sustainable.”
A grand opening event on July 22 will celebrate the completion of the $300-million facility and the official start of QIRA production. However, Veldhouse said the work is already underway: material is now being shipped out to consumer goods companies across the country.
Source: https://tcbmag.com/cargill-opens-biotech-center-for-sustainable-manufacturing/
and https://www.businessrecord.com/cargill-joint-venture-starts-production-in-eddyville/