ADM has announced an investment of more than $16 million in the company’s Boone County, Kentucky facility to significantly expand production capacity for its Colors From Nature portfolio of naturally derived colour solutions.

The investment will provide an additional 14,000 square feet of manufacturing space and state-of-the-art production capabilities by early 2027. It allows ADM to significantly increase the capacity of liquid and dry-blended colour solutions already produced at the facility to serve growing demand from customers. This builds on a recent $26M investment in its neighbouring Erlanger, Kentucky facility to strengthen capabilities for growing food and beverage reformulation demands. 

“As customers respond to evolving consumer preferences and changing regulatory expectations, colour has become a crucial part of successful reformulation,” said Calvin McEvoy, ADM’s president of global flavours. “This investment strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality, reliable and scalable natural col-or solutions from our Colors From Nature portfolio, while further positioning Northern Kentucky as a critical hub for ADM’s North American colours business.”

“ADM’s continued investment is a strong reflection of Northern Kentucky’s ability to support innovative manufacturers as they grow,” said Boone County judge/executive Gary Moore. “This expansion will create quality jobs while strengthening our region’s food and beverage manufacturing sector and helping ADM meet growing demand for naturally derived color solutions.”

“ADM has been an exceptional partner for the City of Erlanger and we wish them success with this continued expansion of their Northern Kentucky campus,” said Mayor Jessica Fette, City of Erlanger. “This investment reinforces the strength of Northern Kentucky’s skilled workforce and our region’s position as an ideal location for large companies to grow.”

The expansion comes as the colour conversion opportunity in North America is estimated at more than $1 billion. It is largely driven by growing regulatory and consumer calls for food and beverage manufacturers to transition from artificial colours to naturally derived solutions.

ADM’s naturally derived colour capabilities include proprietary products and technologies that help customers solve the complex formulation challenges related to natural colour conversion. The comupany’s ability to offer high-quality, consistent solutions supports customers in simplifying product development and commercialisation efforts to create more compelling products across categories.

“Customers are looking for partners who can help them manage complexity, from sourcing and formulation to scale-up and commercialisation,” said McEvoy. “By combining our global raw material network, localized manufacturing capabilities, and deep formulation expertise, ADM is well-positioned to help customers bring products to market that meet consumer expectations for appearance, taste, clean label appeal and performance.”

ADM came to Northern Kentucky in 2014 through the company’s acquisition of WILD Flavors and currently employs more than 1,300 personnel throughout the region. Through continued investment in production capabilities, innovative technology and local talent, ADM has expanded the roles these facilities play in serving food and beverage customers across North America.