(KNOX) – Agristo, a family owned potato processing company from Belgium, has informed the City of Grand Forks they intend to build their first North American facility in Grand Forks.
For the last three years Agristo has been working with local potato growers on trial plots with European potato varieties. Agristo has been in site discussions with locations in the Midwest. With this decision, their exploration in other states will be paused to focus on negotiations in North Dakota. The final decision is contingent on certain conditions related to incentives and finalizing competitive BNSF transportation rates.
“As a Top 5 potato-producing state and a leader in ag innovation, North Dakota is the ideal location for Agristo’s first processing facility in North America,” Gov. Kelly Armstrong said. “I’ve enjoyed working with Agristo’s leadership, and we look forward to welcoming them to Grand Forks. This project will expand value-added agriculture in North Dakota, improve profitability for our potato growers and strengthen our state’s economy.”
“This is a game-changer for potato growers in North Dakota, who will benefit from a $500 million, 350-acre facility that provides a new, local market for the high-value crops they produce,” said Senator John Hoeven. “We made the case to Agristo and BNSF, outlining the benefits to both companies and how Grand Forks is the clear choice for this new facility. We appreciate everyone involved, including Mayor Bochenski, Grand Forks EDC President Keith Lund, the region’s potato industry leaders and BNSF CEO Katie Farmer, for their efforts to make this new project a reality, benefitting the region and our farmers for years to come.”
“Agristo’s announcement is great news for North Dakota and our potato producers,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “Agristo recognizes our culture of hard work, integrity and innovation as a cornerstone of our communities. The plant will be perfectly situated near the rich soils of the Red River Valley, will add value to our state’s agricultural industry and expand opportunities for our producers and the local workforce.”
“Thank you to our local farmers, particularly the Northland Potato Growers Association, for their work and effort over the last 3 years on this project.” Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski said. “The culture within Agristo is clearly community-oriented and employee-focused making them a perfect fit for Grand Forks.”
Agristo was founded in 1983 by childhood friends Antoon Wallays and Luc Raes. Their headquarters are in Weilsbeke, Belgium with the founders’ children Filip Wallays and Hannelore Raes as co-CEOs. They have 6 branches around the world in Belgium, The Netherlands, France and India.
Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski talked about Agristo on “Critical Thought with Noah Chelliah” on KNOX Radio. To hear the interview, go to https://podcast.criticalthought.show/70
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