The new facility will have a multi-modal transportation system, including two rail lines (Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific), 13 common freight carriers with five terminals, and the Port of Pine Bluff, a slack water harbor located on the Arkansas River. Pine Bluff is 38 miles from Little Rock, Arkansas, and 137 miles from Memphis, Tennessee.
“By opening our second mill in Pine Bluff, we will have an excellent logistical flow to important markets such as Chicago only 10 hours away by truck,” said Tom Andringa, vice-president of sales and business development.
The Delta Region facility will expand WF’s position in the long grain rice flour market and allow WF to better serve its Midwest and East coast customers, the company said.
“We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with the Jefferson County Alliance, becoming a respected employer in the Pine Bluff area and playing a significant role in the local community,” said Miguel Reyna, president and chief executive officer of WF. “Our parent company, Western Milling, has been incredibly supportive during this exciting next phase of WF’s growth in the gluten-free ingredients marketplace.”
With more than 50 years of combined experience in the rice and grain milling industry, WF offers organic products such as rice flours, non-GMO corn, buckwheat, sorghum, gluten-free quinoa, gluten-free oats, amaranth millet, ancient grains, chia, millet, flaxseed, lupin corn starches, and tapioca.
The company specializes in providing customized products and granulations for its domestic and international customers in the baking and snack industries, dietary supplement and nutraceutical industries, as well as the alternative beverage and baby food industries.
WF’s parent company, Western Milling, is based in Goshen, California, U.S., and is one of the largest privately held feed companies in the world. The company works with more than 1,000 dairy operations, supplying custom feed solutions.
