CHERRYVALE, KANSAS, US — Bartlett, a Savage Company, on Sept. 19 celebrated the opening of its soybean processing plant in Cherryvale, Kansas. The facility will handle up to 49 million bushels of soybeans annually, providing sustainable soy feedstocks for refined vegetable oil, animal feed and renewable transportation fuels.

“We appreciate the tremendous work of everyone involved in the design, construction and operation of this world-class facility, and the strong support received from community members and federal, state and local officials,” Bob Knief, president of Bartlett, said at the grand opening event, which was attended by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and other dignitaries. “Our new Cherryvale plant will expand markets for area soybean producers and agribusinesses while driving needed economic growth in Southeast Kansas.”

He noted that more than 60 permanent jobs are being created, in addition to jobs and economic activity supported during the plant’s construction, which began in 2022.

“This impressive facility is far more than a soybean processing plant,” Kelly said. “It’s where community members will find good employment. It’s where the demand for renewable fuel will be met. As businesses like Bartlett continue to invest in our communities, we will continue to invest in our people.”

Bartlett’s Cherryvale site includes the processing plant, product tank farm, grain elevators and a multi-loop track system. The South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, owned and operated by WATCO, provides rail services for the facility, connecting the plant to a network of Class I carriers. The plant’s location also provides easy access to highways 160, 166, 169 and 400.

Company leaders highlighted how the facility will support Bartlett’s customers and partners by optimizing North American supply chains for the agriculture and energy industries.

“We’re excited that this plant will play dual roles in satisfying growing demand for feed and food and also renewable energy,” said Kirk Aubry, chief executive officer of Savage. “In addition to our new soybean processing plant in Kansas, we continue to develop a range of sustainable solutions for farmers and food producers.”

Bartlett is partnering with sustainability solutions provider Regrow Ag on sustainability commitments at the plant, using Regrow’s Agriculture Resilience Platform that supports rigorous Scope 3 emissions analysis and the ability to create actionable carbon reduction plans and track environmental outcomes on the farm level. Bartlett said it will use Regrow’s platform to determine county-level emissions factors for its soybean supply shed. The platform also will provide insights into current regenerative practice adoption to assist Bartlett in designing programs to support more sustainable farming practices.