Major upgrades to improve grain flow and support livestock feed demand
ADM has announced a major investment to expand the capacity of its grain elevator in Optima, Oklahoma. The project is designed to improve the movement of grain and feed products while supporting the growing needs of livestock producers across the region.
The company plans to make several upgrades that will significantly increase the facility's throughput. One of the main goals is to reduce train unloading times by about 50 percent, allowing grain and feed products to move more quickly through the supply chain.
As part of the project, ADM will add 150 rail cars of additional track capacity. The company will also install a new rail unloading pit equipped with two hard car diggers. These improvements will help the facility handle larger volumes of corn and corn gluten feed pellets more efficiently.
According to ADM, the Optima location plays an important role in connecting grain supplies from farmers across the country to livestock operations in the Texas Panhandle and surrounding areas. The region is one of the largest livestock-feeding areas in the United States, and demand for feed ingredients continues to grow.
"ADM's vast North American logistics network connects tens of thousands of farmers to markets, and our Optima facility plays a critical role in connecting grain and feed products from across the country to livestock markets in the Panhandle region," said Tim McHenry, vice president, North America Grain & Feed.
He added, "Optima serves one of the country's largest livestock-feeding regions, and we continue to see demand increasing, making efficient movement of grain and feed ingredients especially important. These investments will help us continue to set the competitive standard by moving American farmers' crops more efficiently while strengthening the supply chain that serves livestock producers across the region."
Company leaders said the investment will strengthen supply chain operations while helping farmers and livestock producers benefit from more efficient grain transportation. The upgrades are also expected to improve safety, reliability, and operational consistency at the facility.
ADM noted that the project is not only focused on increasing capacity but also on creating a more dependable and flexible unloading system. This will allow the facility to respond more effectively to changing market needs and customer demand.
Construction is expected to continue over the coming months, with the project scheduled for completion by the middle of 2027.
ADM maintains a strong presence across Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, employing nearly 1,200 people in the region. Its operations include production facilities, crop procurement locations, a trucking terminal, and an ocean port.
Photo Credit: adm-logo