Crown opens new headquarters, innovation centre in US

Oilseed processing equipment provider Crown has unveiled its new global headquarters and innovation centre, located in Blaine, Minnesota in the US.

Following years of planning and eight months of construction works, the new 68,000 square foot facility, which cost $12 million (€10.8 million), is able to accommodate more staff. The company’s state-of-the-art innovation centre supports and optimises custom process solutions, as well as customer trainings within its 15,000 square foot pilot plant.

Crown’s flagship innovation centre includes a fully functional and highly instrumented pilot plant with a computerised control room for process monitoring and data collection in all plant areas, including preparation, extraction, refining, biodiesel, renewable diesel and oleochemical processing.

“Our pilot plant enables customers to simulate plant operations, trials, toll processing, new technologies and product testing in a confidential and controlled environment that saves them time, money and headaches,” said Bill Antilla, general manager of Crown Global Companies. “Customers can also empower employees with comprehensive training to improve process knowledge, maintenance expertise and plant safety.”

The innovation centre features multiple training locations, a hands-on equipment training area, a boiler room and a motor control centre, where safety demonstrations and technical training promote safe energy usage and handling.

“Our goal is to be the ‘first-call’ for oilseed industry leaders in need of a technology partner committed to discovering innovative approaches to reducing energy and water usage, improving yields, and reducing capital and operating costs,” added Mike Hoerle, vice-president of global engineering at Crown.

Antilla concluded that the new headquarters and innovation centre “fully leverages Crown’s industry-leading technology and talented global team to further expand Crown’s role as a trusted advisor and problem-solving partner to our customers.”