Zeeland Farm Services to expand idled corn ethanol processing site

Zeeland Farm Services, Michigan's largest soybean processor, is set to expand an existing site in Gratiot County.

The site, which is more than 435 acres, was once owned by Liberty Renewable Fuels LLC who hoped the purchase would become the state's largest corn ethanol processing plant.

ZFS Ithaca LLC will complete the buildings and move on to the site, which was abandoned in 2008 by Liberty Renewable Fuels, when the company's financing ran out.

Beth Westemeyer, marketing manager for ZFS commented on how plans to build a soybean processing plant on the site in the next year are also in place, along with a grain elevator and feed ingredients transfer facility, which includes a railroad siding.

Zeeland Farm Services processes over 10 million bushels of soybeans per year for food, animal feed and biodiesel products.

'It's going to help us expand all of our services to the mid and eastern side of the state,' adds Westemeyer.