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Already the nation’s top soybean producer, Incobrasa Industries
is planning to more than double its production capacity by 2030,
the governor said.
“That’s a win for Gilman, for Illinois and for America,”
Pritzker told the group, which included company officials, Sen.
Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City, and Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity Director Kristin Richards.
Job growth is a leading benefit resulting from this project,
officials said.
“In addition to sustaining 200 jobs and creating 40 new
permanent good-paying careers, this new $250 million expansion
will mean dozens of construction and installation jobs for
workers,” the governor said.
Incobrasa produces everything from biodiesel to cooking oil and
farm feed. Plans call for a soybean crushing plant and a 50-acre
solar array to create power as needed.
Incobrasa President and CEO Aluizio Ribeiro, in a news release
from the governor’s office, applauded the Economic Development
for a Growing Economy tax credit. This tax credit calls for a
capital investment of at least $155.8 million.
Bennett commented on Incobrasa’s contribution to the biodiesel
field and how the expansion will “help ensure that we are
meeting the recent demands of this high-blend renewable fuel.”
Incobrasa Quality Control Manager Kerry Fogarty discussed the
strides the company has taken since he began his journey there
in 1997.
“Over the past 26 years, we have added soybean oil refining,”
Fogarty said. “We have added a state-of-the-art packaging
facility, and most recently, we have added a 75 million gallon
per year biodiesel plant.”
The company also supplies meals to the largest pork and poultry
suppliers in the U.S., and its bottled veggie oil is on store
shelves from California to New York, he said.
“We stand here on this momentous occasion on the horizon of the
new future for these enterprises. I find it moving to think that
some of the people that will eventually work here are not even
born yet,” Fogarty said. “The future looks bright.”
Among the speakers, Andrew Larson of the Illinois Soybean
Association shared his excitement that Incobrasa’s growth will
continue to “promote strong and reliable markets for our soybean
farmers across the state.”
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