MINNEAPOLIS — Cargill is spending nearly $50 million to expand its Global Animal Nutrition Innovation Center in Elk River, Minn., just 30 minutes from its global headquarters in Minneapolis.

The investment will upgrade animal facilities, including a dairy innovation unit; construct a larger onsite feed mill, add a visitor’s space; and build a laboratory for nutrient research and development. A groundbreaking was held April 19, and the updated facility is expected to open in spring 2023.

Designed to serve dairy, poultry, swine and aqua nutrition customers and the testing needs of other Cargill businesses, the Global Innovation Center hosts more than 2,000 visitors a year. In addition, new viewing corridors will allow visitors to view the animal R&D facilities conveniently.

“This is the largest investment Cargill’s animal nutrition business has made in innovation,” said Adriano Marcon, animal nutrition business group leader for Cargill. “We are taking a significant step towards what is going to create state-of-the-art technologies for our world. We want to be the best animal nutrition partner globally, and our customers expect us to bring innovations that make them more competitive, efficient and sustainable.”

Along with a facility in Velddriel, The Netherlands, and the soon to be operating Changrong research and development center in China, the Elk River site serves as a hub of the company’s global network of 15 animal nutrition research and technology application centers.

The Elk River site, which has been operational for Cargill since 1958, is home to teams that develop new methods of nutrient measurement to deeply understand how ingredients feed animals and support their performance at all life stages. Animals also are cared for onsite to identify and validate scientific principles related to their health and understand how various nutrients support their well-being.

The laboratory renovation project’s architect is Alliiance and the constructors are McGough and Weitz (feed mill).