CHS Has Taken the First Step Towards a $700 Million Soya Processing Plant in Wisconsin

Image: CHS

From left to right: U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin); Ambassador Julie Callahan, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, CHS President and CEO Jay Debertin; Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers; Evansville Mayor Abbey Barnes; and CHS Executive Vice President Ag Business and CHS Hedging John Griffith. 

CHS, a US-based agricultural co-operative, held the ground-breaking ceremony on 7 October 2026 for a soya processing plant planned for Evansville, Wisconsin. The facility, which is expected to have an annual soybean processing capacity of 80 million bushels, aims to increase domestic processing capacity in the US, create new marketing opportunities for producers and contribute to meeting the raw material demand of the food, feed and renewable fuel sectors.

With a total investment of 700 million dollars, the facility is expected to produce approximately 1 billion pounds (453.6 million kilograms) of soya oil and 2 million tonnes of soya meal annually once it reaches full capacity. The project is significant in terms of expanding soya bean processing capacity in the US and transforming agricultural products into value-added outputs.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of local authorities, producers, industry stakeholders and government officials. Jay Debertin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CHS, stated that the investment represented a significant step for the future of the agricultural sector, adding that the facility would provide soya producers with a new and reliable market. Debertin also noted that the investment is expected to strengthen domestic supply chains and help meet demand for agricultural products produced in the US.
Debertin further highlighted the importance of a policy environment that facilitates the creation of strong markets and long-term demand for the implementation of investments on this scale. This assessment highlighted the place of issues such as biofuel production and increasing domestic processing capacity for agricultural raw materials on the sector’s investment agenda.

US Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden, meanwhile, stated that the project forms part of a growing wave of investment in the biofuel sector. Vaden said that the commissioning of the facility, with an annual processing capacity of 80 million bushels, would coincide with a period of new opportunities for US soya producers, both in the domestic market and on international markets.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers also emphasised the importance of the agriculture and food processing sectors to the state’s economy and employment. Evers stated that the investment would provide economic benefits for families in Evansville and the surrounding area, as well as for regional producers.

The commissioning of the facility is expected to create approximately 80 full-time jobs. It is also anticipated that hundreds of construction and skilled trade roles will be created during the construction and development phases. However, construction work is scheduled to begin once the necessary planning permission processes have been finalised. Development activities for the project are ongoing.
CHS also announced, as part of the ceremony, that it would provide a total of $50,000 in support for community projects in Evansville. This will include contributions to the CARE Closet Programme and the agriculture programme at Evansville High School. These contributions form the social dimension of the investment in relation to local communities.

Operating as the US’s largest farmer-owned cooperative, CHS is active in the grain, agriculture, food and energy sectors, in addition to providing agricultural input supply, market access and risk management services. The company reported revenue of $35.5 billion for the 2025 financial year. The Evansville project stands out as part of the company’s investments in the processing of agricultural products.