ND mill turned 1st quarter profit

The North Dakota Mill and Elevator reports first quarter profits of $2.33 million dollars.  That compares to $3.33 million one-year ago.

Mill manager Vance Taylor says timing issues kept the numbers down as well as market swings.

Taylor says spring wheat accounted for over 92% of sales for the Grand Forks based mill — durum a little over 7%.

Looking ahead Taylor says he’s optimistic about the remainder of the year.  “The above average wheat crop we are working with this year – both spring wheat and durum.  We have strong consumer demand going forward.  One thing that could knock us back is winter/spring wheat spreads…these have been really tight this year.”

Taylor presented the numbers to the North Dakota Industrial Commission today (Thursday).  The commission met in Grand Forks to help mark the 100th anniversary of the state-owned mill.

The North Dakota Mill and Elevator Association  was created in 1919 by House Bill 20 and began its operations in Grand Forks on October 30, 1922. The cost of the State Mill at that time was just over $3 million. The North Dakota Mill has become the largest single-site flour mill in the United States and has 10 milling units within the Mill complex.