Grand Forks Mayor touts economic impacts of new Epitome Energy soybean crushing plant planned for city

(Fargo, ND) -- The mayor of Grand Forks is celebrating the news that a new $400 million soybean processing plant will soon break ground in the city.

"This was a company that originally selected Crookston, Minnesota which is 30 miles to the east of us. They were having troubles with the state of Minnesota and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and it had just dragged on and on. They were looking for a state and a place to get the project and to move forward," said Brandon Bochenski.   

Bochesnki says Epitome Energy, the company behind the project, is expected to bring about 50 new jobs to the city.  While welcoming job growth in the city, the mayor says he is especially excited about the anticipated tax revenues the new plant will generate for the city. Groundbreaking is expected in the second quarter of 2023 with the plant operational by the fall of 2025.

Bochenski is also touting the economic upside for area soybean farmers.

"Farming is a tough business from year to year and if you can add a little basis to that finished product I think that's great for our region, great for our farmers," said the mayor. 

Since area farmers won't have to ship their beans to locations further away for processing, Bochenski says the facility will strengthen farmer's basis for soybeans by 20 to 25 cents per bushel.