Kemin breaks ground on corporate headquarters in Iowa

Kemin Industries has deepened its roots in Iowa while continuing its strategic growth in global trade and supporting regional economic development.
A ceremonial groundbreaking for its new Des Moines corporate headquarters included a footprint of the more than 90,000-square-foot building with hundreds of Kemin employees inside their future office spaces.
The company has steadily marched forward with its growth plans after an event in October 2010, during one of the worst economic recessions in history; when publicly announcing a $40 million expansion plan that would add new jobs, multiple manufacturing and research facilities and a new global headquarters.
Then in September 2014, Kemin increased the total expansion investment to $125.5 million, more than tripling the initial investment to support its focus on providing safe and healthy food to a growing world.
“We are in a race with the global population growth to find molecular solutions which help improve the lives of others through molecular science that helps feed the world, said Dr. Chris Nelson, CEO and president of Kemin Industries. As lofty as our goals are and as technically complex our research and related science is, our success comes down to relationship – starting here at home. We could not have made this commitment without the help of the City of Des Moines, Polk County, the State of Iowa, and of course, our employees”
“Every time I visit Kemin, I am reminded that this is a global company and can choose to have their corporate headquarters anywhere in the world – and they continue to choose Iowa,” said Gov. Terry Branstad. “Kemin is a family-owned company with a culture of innovation, setting ambitious goals and exceeding expectations. Specifically, a couple of years ago they committed to adding 98 jobs. Instead, they went well beyond that by adding approximately 140 full-time jobs and I am pleased to learn that they are looking to hire even more.”
“Expansions like what we’re seeing at Kemin today are occurring throughout the state of Iowa, which has led to our unemployment rate decreasing to a seven-year-low of 3.8 percent,” said Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. “The careers created by Kemin are high-quality and demand a skilled workforce. Our commitment to companies like Kemin is to continue providing a world-class education that incorporates innovative STEM education to ensure we have a talented workforce ready to fill the jobs of tomorrow.”
The new building is designed as an expansion that will connect the recently opened Molecular Advancement Center (MAC) on the northeast side of the campus to the new headquarters. The headquarters will house nearly 350 employees along with a fitness center and dining facility.
Recent Kemin Des Moines projects:


• 23,000 square-foot warehouse completed in 2012
• 45,000 square-foot, $16.7 million Molecular Advancement Center research facility opened in July of 2013
• 16,000 square-foot, $17 million encapsulated manufacturing facility which will be operational in November
• 90,000+ square-foot corporate headquarters to be completed in early 2017
The corporate headquarters is scheduled to be complete by early 2017. Combined with the MAC the new building will be approximately 125,000 square-feet and complete a 5-year investment of $125.5 million in the greater Des Moines community.

Kemin discusses lipid challenges and opportunities in nutrition

Profitability, through the utilization and impact of nutrients, combined with animal health, are two of the most important challenges in today’s animal production. Kemin initiated two seminars with leading animal nutrition experts in Germany and Belgium to address these challenges and create a greater understanding of lipid nutrition.
“It is clearly understood that to maintain profits for swine and poultry production, the industry must increase the profitability of meat, while maintaining high animal health and meat quality standards,” said John Springate, president of the animal nutrition and health division of Kemin. “Oils and fats are an important energy contribution that can improve profits; however, their impact is often underestimated. Through discussions with leading researchers, Kemin hopes to raise awareness for the science and strategies behind lipid nutrition.”
The seminar’s first speaker, Julian Wiseman, professor at Nottingham University, said the biological composition and nutritional value of fats and oils varies and can greatly influence animal production. He explained that the degree of saturation, the content of free fatty acids, the chain length of constituent fatty acids and contaminants, are all factors that affect the energy value as well as the age of the animal. The Wiseman equation brings these numerous parameters together into one general equation to accurately estimate the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) of the fat. Wiseman highlighted that proper quality control plays a fundamental role in accurate feed formulation.
Furthermore, Dr. Nicola Tallarico, Kemin technical service manager, discussed the importance of preventing lipid oxidation to ensure quality. To emphasize his point, Tallarico demonstrated the correlation between lipid oxidation and reduced energetic value (ME, DE).
In addition, Tallarico highlighted other negative effects of oxidation. He said that once oxidation begins, essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, which have the highest nutritional value and fatty soluble vitamins, will oxidize first, significantly reducing their levels.
Finally, Tallarico discussed the negative effects of damaged lipids on animal production, such as oxidative stress and reduced feed intake, while also reviewing preventive antioxidant protection strategies.
Also speaking at the event, Geert Janssens, University of Ghent professor, discussed the art of burning fat for energy. He focused on the biochemistry of fat digestion and highlighted other nutrients that play a role in fat utilization. In particular, he presented recent research on the role of amino acids.
Furthermore, Janssens described the mechanism of fat deposition in tissues and organs, such as the liver, in the case of improper lipid metabolism. In conclusion, he emphasized that keeping the right balance between nutrients like fats, sugar and amino acids can help maximize feed efficiency, manage heat stress, and avoid problems, such as fatty liver.
Providing insights on how to improve nutrition by evaluating the nutritional and quality profile of oils and fats, Dr. Mauri Di Benedetto, Kemin senior technical service manager, said the company’s Lipid Evaluation Test allows nutritionists to ensure they have accurate, reliable numbers.
According to Di Benedetto, the nutritional value of oils and fats are characterized by the ratio of unsaturated/saturated fatty acids, the level of free fatty acids, as well as the level of moisture and various impurities. Lipids, like many raw materials, come from a wide variety of sources and are prone to large variations in their nutritive value. Traditionally, nutritionists use the standard energy value on oils and fats, which Kemin researchers have found to be quite different from the actual values. Numerous analyses have resulted in up to 30 percent variations in AME values for a single oil type.
To provide nutritionists with accurate, reliable lipid profiles containing the AME values and the oxidative status, Kemin recently launched its Lipid Evaluation Test. This service provides nutritionists with a clear, accurate understanding of the nutritional and quality status of oils and fats in order to make informed decisions on their use, and ultimately, to optimize feed formulations and profitability.
To conclude the panel, the industry specialists agreed that in today’s increasingly challenging production environment, optimizing animal nutrition to improve profits is critical. They concurred that to ensure the highest quality of fats and oils for optimum production, the sources of the lipids should be known as well as the factors affecting their quality and efficacy. Additionally, oils and fats should be accurately evaluated.

Kemin offers new testing service to evaluate oils, fats

Kemin is launching a new customer service tool to better assess the oxidative quality and nutritional value of oils and fats in feed. The Lipid Evaluation Test provides nutritionists with accurate lipid profiles containing the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) values and oxidative status and potential in order to improve applications and combat unwanted variations of oils and fats in animal nutrition.
Oils and fats are critical ingredients in feed formulations due to their high energy-yielding potential. However, like many raw materials, these lipids come from a wide variety of sources and are prone to large variations in their nutritive value.
"Until now, the tools to effectively evaluate the nutritional and quality profile of lipids were not readily available to the industry," said Dr. Liong Kah Heng, marketing director of the company's animal nutrition and health division in Asia Pacific. "Traditionally, nutritionists analyzed oils and fats using the standard energy value, which our researchers have found to be quite different from the actual values. With the Lipid Evaluation Test, nutritionists can work with their Kemin representative to ensure they have accurate, reliable numbers."
Numerous analyses performed by Kemin scientists have resulted in up to 30 percent variations in AME values for a single oil type. The nutritional value of oils and fats are characterized by the ratio of unsaturated/saturated fatty acids, the level of free fatty acids, as well as the level of moisture and various impurities.
In addition to differences in energy levels, Kemin researchers also found large variations in the oxidative status of oils and fats. Measuring the oxidative status and oxidative potential provides an understanding of the lipid rancidity and overall quality of oils and fats.
Along with accurate and informed testing services, Kemin offers solutions, such as Lysoforte, which has been shown to reduce nutritional energy differences and enhance the utilization of energy from oils and fats in combination with an antioxidant program. This can lead to improved feed conversion ratios and lower production costs.
"The Lipid Evaluation Test is a testament to the continued commitment of Kemin to deliver advanced technologies and services to keep animals safe, healthy and efficient," said Dr. C. Sugumar, product manager at Kemin. "With this new service, nutritionists can have a clear, accurate understanding of the nutritional and quality status of oils and fats in order to make informed decisions on their use, and ultimately, to optimize feed formulations and profitability."

Kemin Industries opens research and development facility

The 46,300 square foot Molecular Advancement Center is already occupied by 60 scientists.

The dedication of a new research and development facility at Kemin Industries' corporate headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, revealed an open-concept layout and 1,215 feet of linear research bench space as requested by the company's scientists and researchers.
The $16.7 million, 46,300 square foot Molecular Advancement Center (MAC), includes two general labs, six shared labs, three pilot labs, a sensory lab, a test kitchen and a personal care application research lab. In addition to providing bench space, the building includes a café serving Starbucks coffee.
The MAC is already occupied by approximately 60 scientists, researching and developing products for the feed and food industries as well as the health, nutrition and beauty markets. The company's existing Innovation Center continues to operate at full capacity with scientists focused on discovery research and pet food.
"This new facility is more than a building. It represents our confidence in employees, commitment to Des Moines and vision to improve the quality of life of half the world's population," said president and CEO of Kemin, Dr. Chris Nelson. "The world today provides an enormous challenge for where we, Kemin, need to go in the next few years. By 2050, an estimated nine billion people will occupy the planet. They will require 70 percent more food than we have today. Kemin is dedicated to making food available for the nine billion people that will inhabit the planet and it is our mission and passion to do that with safe, nutritious food on a worldwide basis."
Plans for the MAC were first announced when Kemin shared its worldwide expansion in October of 2010. At that time, the company committed to adding 98 new positions and has already exceeded that number, to date hiring 137 new, full-time jobs. When the expansion is complete, Kemin will have added six new manufacturing facilities, three new research facilities and a new corporate headquarters building -- altogether a more than $40 million investment.
Nearly 150 scientists from Des Moines and around the world participated in the dedication of the Molecular Advancement Center. With 26 open positions, Nelson discussed the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) education as it relates to the company's ability to attract and retain a skilled workforce, "As we look around this morning, the key to this building is not the building but the people who work in the building. I can't talk to you enough about the importance of STEM education in the next five to 10 years. It builds the jobs in Iowa and the jobs in the world that bring us forward in so many technological areas and allow us to feed the enormous numbers of people on this planet." 

Kemin dairy technical services manager receives dairy science association award

Dr. Kevin Herrick, dairy technical services manager with Kemin Industries, has been awarded the 2013 American Dairy Science Association Graduate Student Paper Publication Award, presented at the organization's annual meeting held in Indianapolis, Ind., on July 10.
Herrick was awarded for his work appearing in the June 2012 issue of the Journal of Dairy Science. In the article, Herrick investigated feeding a sugar co-product to lactating Holstein cows and demonstrated the co-product improved fiber digestibility, particularly of the structural fiber fraction. Feeding this co-product has the potential to improve animal performance as well as allow producers to feed lower quality forages and maintain dietary energy.
Earlier in 2013, Herrick received the Midwest American Dairy Science Association's Young Scholar Award for his presentation, "Butyrate supplementation effects on metabolism and production in lactating dairy cows." In his presentation, Herrick offered research investigating supplementation of individual or intermediate volatile fatty acids as a potential treatment for metabolic diseases in the post-partum ruminant. The presentation featured trials in which rumen butyrate concentration was increased to investigate the performance and metabolic responses of lactating dairy cows. Results from Herrick's research demonstrate butyrate supplementation has the potential to improve the energy balance of lactating dairy cows.
Herrick joined Kemin in 2012 and serves as the technical service manager for dairy in North America. Prior to joining Kemin, he worked as a dairy production consultant for Land O' Lakes Purina Feed and as a herdsman for a large dairy in South Dakota. Herrick completed a Bachelor of Science in animal science, a Master of Science in ruminant nutrition from South Dakota State University and a Ph.D. in dairy science from South Dakota State University.

Kemin presents data supporting new additives

The microbial population of the gastro-intestinal tract is influenced by a number of factors, including pH, substrate availability, toxins, antibodies, and other bacteria. Hens possess an unstable microbial ecosystem and poorly digested nutrients and anti-nutritional factors can lead to undesirable microbial growth, often resulting in a negative impact on performance. Periods of stress can cause a shift in the microbial profile from beneficial to deleterious. Feeding probiotic products, such as CloSTAT® Dry Direct-Fed Microbial, based on a patented Bacillus subtilis PB6 strain, contribute to intestinal microbial balance.
A study was conducted at a commercial laying operation to evaluate the effect of CloSTAT® on the performance of Hyline W-98 layers from 68 to 102 weeks of age. One house, equipped with a split feeding system, was used in the study. This arrangement allowed one group of 136,000 hens to be fed the control diet and another group of 136,000 hens to receive the DFM treatment under similar conditions. CloSTAT® was added at 1 lb/ton (0.5 kg/ton) to normal second cycle diets 2-3 weeks prior to induction of the molt and fed for an additional 34 weeks. Egg production, egg weight, body weight, feed intake and mortality were measured weekly.
Egg production and mortality tended to be improved in the CloSTAT® group throughout the trial. An increase of 1.9 eggs per hen-housed and 0.57 lb (0.25 kg) of egg mass per hen-housed and a 1.5% reduction in mortality was recorded in the CloSTAT® group. Feed intake and body weight were slightly elevated in the CloSTAT® group through approximately 83 weeks of age, after which there was no discernible difference between treatment groups.
A trial conducted in broilers demonstrated that adding a suspension of lysophopholipids (LPLs) which function as surfactants and emulsifiers enhanced absorption of animal-source fats incorporated in diets at 3%. It was demonstrated that the commercial compound increased body weight through 21 days for chicks fed diets containing poultry fat and tallow but not soybean oil. The beneficial action of LPLs was confined to enhanced digestion of C16:0 and C18:0 fatty acids.
A parallel trial investigated the effect of dietary LPLs alone or in combination with a beta- mannanase enzyme in a corn-soy broiler diet through 42 days. In one of two studies conducted the combination enhanced gain and feed conversion efficiency compared with other treatments. Both trials demonstrated a cost advantage associated with LPL supplementation.
Although these studies were performed on broilers, the benefits from supplementation could be expected in commercial egg production flocks but it will be necessary to confirm positive responses in controlled experiments.