Photo credit: Star of the West Milling Co.
Star of the West Milling Co. is shifting part of its milling strategy with plans to convert its Quincy, Michigan, site from wheat flour production to dry corn milling, expanding its footprint in food-grade corn ingredients and feed products.
The Frankenmuth-based company said the Quincy site, home to one of its five wheat flour mills, will discontinue wheat flour milling as operations continue to consolidate following a recent flour mill expansion in Ligonier, Indiana. Company officials said the mill’s age and smaller capacity made the transition a practical step.
The repurposed facility will process more than 21,000 bushels of Michigan-grown corn per day and produce a range of food-grade and feed-grade corn ingredients. The company did not disclose the project’s cost.
Plans call for demolishing the existing mill structure and warehouse and constructing a six-story slipform building for the new operation. The project also includes new feed storage and loadout systems, bulk truck and rail loadout capabilities, and tote-filling capacity.
Star of the West said the investment aligns with its broader strategy of expanding value-added processing and strengthening partnerships across the agricultural supply chain.
Company leaders said the move into dry corn milling reflects both market demand and the company’s existing relationships with wheat-based customers who also source corn ingredients. The company also pointed to its established grain origination network in Michigan as a factor in the decision, creating an opportunity to add value to corn supplies already sourced from local farmers.
Executives said the Quincy mill’s location could provide logistical advantages for corn ingredient buyers in Michigan and the northeastern United States, where dry corn milling capacity is more limited compared with other regions.
The company said the facility will incorporate modern processing and product-handling systems designed to support food safety, product diversification and customer specification requirements.
Project completion is expected in 2028.
Source: Star of the West Milling Co. press release via the Village of Quincy, Mich., Facebook page