ADM Gets $2.2M Award from Iowa State to Expand Precision Fermentation Capacity in Clinton
Food processing giant ADM has received $2.23M in tax credits from the Iowa state government to convert an underutilised space at its Clinton facility into a precision fermentation hub.
A month after securing a contract to produce The Every Company’s animal-free egg protein, ADM’s bid to lead the precision fermentation wave has just received a major boost.
The agrifood business has secured a $2.23M award from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) board to support its ongoing bid to expand its precision fermentation capabilities at its facility in Clinton.
The company’s $55.5M project will convert an underutilised 463,503 sq ft of space into a manufacturing site for precision-fermented products, which can be supplied to the food, feed, agricultural, and industrial processing industries.
ADM doubles down on precision fermentation
ADM’s plan to scale its precision fermentation facility includes adding new processing equipment for separation, purification, drying and packaging, as well as upgrades to existing fermentation equipment, piping and supporting systems.
This will expand the Clinton site’s ability to produce additional high-value bio-based products, such as proteins and enzymes, on a large scale. The capital investment is expected to create 53 jobs at a qualifying wage of $23.57 per hour.
The food processor is already an established name in the precision fermentation manufacturing space, building on an expansive feedstock portfolio, tailored fermentation services, and its integrated global logistics network.
The Clinton facility will begin producing The Every Company’s OvoPro ingredient at commercial scale next year. “We’re strengthening the global protein supply chain while demonstrating how ADM’s industry-leading precision fermentation capabilities can complement existing production, expand supply and help customers innovate,” Kris Lutt, ADM’s VP for innovation and growth, said last month.
ADM is also an investor in Slovenian biotech firm Acies Bio, and has a joint venture with Singapore’s ScaleUp Bio, both of which strengthen its abilities to develop and scale precision-fermented ingredients.
Public investment in precision fermentation on the rise
Iowa’s tax credit award to ADM comes via the IEDA’s Business Incentives for Growth programme, which helps businesses offset some of the costs involved in locating, expanding or modernising a facility for industries including advanced manufacturing, bioscience, and technology,
Qualifying projects should demonstrate a clear impact for the state, such as working with local suppliers, operating in a new industry with few in-state competitors, creating new jobs and diversifying the economy, and boosting productivity and competitiveness through smart technologies.
It is among several instances of public funding for precision-fermented manufacturing in the US. Illinois itself committed $680M to the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub in 2024 to advance its precision fermentation research and convert crops like soybean and corn into high-value commodities.
That centre was established by the University of Illinois, ADM and other local organisations to make the state the “epicentre for biomanufacturing and precision fermentation”.
The same year, precision fermentation firms Perfect Day, The Every Company, Cauldron Ferm, Liberation Labs and Checkerspot collectively secured close to $9.7M in grants from the Department of Defense’s Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program to advance the national fermentation capacity and boost the defence material supply.