SALISBURY, MARYLAND, U.S. — Perdue AgriBusiness LLC has acquired the assets of Hart AgStrong LLC (AgStrong). The deal closed Aug. 5.

The purchase includes two oilseed expeller crushing facilities in Bowersville, Georgia, U.S., and Trenton, Kentucky, U.S., processing organic and non-GMO soybeans, HEAR (high erucic acid rapeseed), canola and high oleic sunflower, as well as an organic specialty oil refinery at the Bowersville facility.

The facilities produce organic and non-GMO oils sold to food and industrial product manufacturers and meal for organic and non-GMO animal feeding operations in the southeastern U.S. Perdue said the AgStrong asset purchase will allow the company to fully supply Perdue Foods’ cooking plants in Perry, Georgia, U.S., and Bridgewater, Virginia, U.S.

“The AgStrong facilities offer an ideal complement to Perdue AgriBusiness’ existing specialty crops and oils capabilities,” said Dick Willey, president of Perdue AgriBusiness. “We will be able to increase sales of our current and new specialty oils. AgStrong’s production capabilities coupled with Perdue AgriBusiness’ brand equity allows us to offer a vertically integrated supply chain with full traceability to our customers.” 

The AgStrong assets will be incorporated into the existing Perdue AgriBusiness Specialty Crops and Oils business. The AgStrong management team and associates at all locations will transition to Perdue. Perdue AgriBusiness Specialty Crops and Oils procures and sells verifiable, reliable organic and non-GMO grains and oilseeds, both domestically and internationally.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Kentucky and Georgia farmers and others in the Southeast with our ‘you grow it, we’ll buy it’ philosophy, and to supporting local and regional markets for high value crops,” Willey said.

Perdue AgriBusiness is an independent operating company of Perdue Farms Inc. Perdue AgriBusiness is a merchandiser, processor and exporter of agricultural products.  Through Perdue AgriBusiness’ 75 elevator locations with more than 75 million bushels of storage, deep-water port, transload facilities, oilseed crushing operations, edible oil refinery, and protein blend mills, the company serves markets across the United States and the world.