Dec 21, 2020

Surging micronutrient demand leads to $1.5 million expansion for Brandt December 21, 2020 Agricultural company Brandt got its start as a family company in the heart of Illinois. And although it’s since expanded to a global agricultural company with operations in California, Spain and Brazil, its latest expansion is focused on its original home of Illinois. The company has recently begun the construction of a new 40,000 square foot expansion of its Pleasant Plains, IL manufacturing facility. With this expansion, it will be able to store additional finished manure, both dry and liquid, and more raw materials. The expansion, worth $1.5 million, will increase storage capacity by more than 30%. It was built as a response to what Brandt calls an “unprecedented demand” for its specialty nutrition products. Chandra Roberts, marketing director for Brandt specialty formulations, tells Manure Manager that Brandt has seen accelerated organic growth throughout the last 10 years. “Over the last decade, the market has seen an uptick in micronutrients in general,” she explains. “Growers understand how new technology is improving crop quality, yield and ROI. They understand the timing and are using micronutrients at different stages throughout the growing season.” This, she says, has led to a surge in demand for micronutrients. That demand has also been driven by a need for growers to maintain profit margins at the end of the season, she says. This is due to a variety of factors – trade, currency, commodity prices and more. “The new plant health technology that has entered the market in the last decade has helped boost crop productivity and yield, with very minimal investment.” Brandt’s expansion is expected to be complete in spring 2021.