SHELL ROCK, IOWA, US — Shell Rock Soy Processing (SRSP) on Dec. 15 announced the hiring of four leaders — three executives and a board member — to the new company.

SRSP is constructing a soybean crushing plant in northeast Iowa that is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.  

When operational, SRSP will crush about 38.5 million bushels of soybeans annually, or 110,000 bushels daily. In addition to the soybean oil, SRSP will produce roughly 847,000 tons per year of soybean meal, along with soy hulls for livestock feed. SRSP also will produce soy oil that may be used for a variety of applications, including livestock feed, fuel and the human food industry.

“We’re pleased to welcome four industry leaders whose exceptional leadership qualities and extensive know-how are an ideal match for this state-of-the-art plant and the ambitious plans we have for its future,” said Bailey Ragan, chairman of SRSP’s board of directors.

“These leaders were recruited after a rigorous process that focused on their professional track records and skill in cultivating a culture of excellence in their organizations,” added Ragan, who was a senior leader for 32 years at Bunge North America in the company’s Oilseeds and Grain business unit.

Joining SRSP are:

• Corey Jorgenson, chief executive officer and general manager, with overall responsibility for SRSP’s management. Jorgenson brings broad experience in the agriculture and food supply chain industry. He spent 20 years with Cargill, serving in a variety of roles, including managing overseas operations. More recently, he applied his experience at Indigo Agriculture and The Andersons, Inc.
• Jared Heldt, commercial and trading director, with 

responsibility for SRSP’s origination, logistics and overall margin management. Heldt offers extensive expertise in oilseeds processing, with more than a decade in management, trading and merchandising roles at Archer Daniels Midland Co.

•  Ken Drilling, director of plant operations, with responsibility for ensuring safe and efficient plant performance. Drilling brings more than two decades of experience as plant manager, project leader and biodiesel manager for Cargill’s facilities across the Midwest.
• Mark Stonacek, the newest member of SRSP’s board of directors. Stonacek is founder and CEO of White Pine Partners, a business consulting firm. He is also a 32-year veteran of Cargill, where he was the chief financial officer for the company’s global agriculture supply chain enterprise. Prior to that, he was president of Cargill’s North America grain and oilseeds operations and held other leadership roles.

SRSP expects to round out its senior management team soon to ensure the new business has the right expertise to ramp up quickly, Jorgenson said.

“We look forward to making Shell Rock the go-to business partner for companies seeking best-in-class services from a highly responsive team,” Jorgenson said.