White River Soy Processing, LLC (White River) announced today that it has been selected by the North Platte Chamber & Development Corporation (the Chamber) to develop an oilseed processing plant at the Hershey Rail Park, a 300-acre industrial rail park located eight miles west of North Platte, near Hershey, Nebraska.
“The Chamber has invested several months of time and energy, as well as conducting a very extensive feasibility study to land an oilseed crushing plant in our region,” said Gary Person, President & CEO of the Chamber. “We have an ideal Midwestern location with an emerging industrial rail park and inland port authority, agriculture producers committed to the concept and we can offer an incentive package that makes the project very attractive for investors. We are excited about our partnership with White River and have full confidence in their experienced team of professionals that will drive this project to a success as the anchor in our business park.”
The project has received support from Gov. Jim Pillen, Union Pacific Railroad, the Nebraska Legislature, Lincoln County Commissioners, the Village of Hershey, the City of North Platte, Greenbrier Rail Services, various utility partners, and local landowners.
“An oilseed processing plant at the Hershey Rail Park is a great opportunity for Nebraska’s soybean farmers and livestock producers,” said Governor Jim Pillen. “The site is also well positioned to contribute significantly to the economic growth of North Platte, Hershey, and surrounding communities, and further positions our state as an agricultural leader.”
White River, headquartered in Omaha, Neb., develops and operates oilseed processing facilities in the U.S. The company is supported by agricultural-focused investors and its team has decades of experience in grain processing, from plant operations to risk management and finance.
“Following the selection of White River for the exclusive development of this project, we are now focused on completing the capital raise,” said Walter Cronin, Co-Founder and President of White River. “The support from our investors and partners has been instrumental to our progress and will continue to play a crucial role in bringing this great opportunity to fruition. We also extend a sincere thank you to the Chamber for selecting us as the developer and to Gov. Pillen and many community partners for their support.”
Ongoing updates on the development of the oilseed processing plant will be available at www.whiteriversoy.com.