CNJ staff photo: Kevin Wilson Quality Liquid Feeds, which sells 750,000 tons of molasses-based liquid feed for dairy and feedlot animals annually, plans to open a production plant Nov. 1 in Clovis.
Kevin Wilson
A second tenant is in the process of calling the Clovis Industrial Park home.
Dodgeville, Wisc.-based Quality Liquid Feeds plans to have a Clovis production facility open on Nov. 1. Renewable Energy Group was the first tenant in the 250-acre industrial park.
“They were originally looking at the frozen fruits facility,” said Chase Gentry, executive director of the Clovis Industrial Development Corporation. After a tour of all options, he continued, “they ended up deciding they wanted to be in the industrial park.”
Started in 1977 by Kenneth R. Berg in Dodgeville, and now run by his son, CEO and President Cory Berg, Quality Liquid Feeds produces 750,000 tons of liquid feed between 10 facilities throughout the country, and sells products in 35 states.
The plant, which is relocating from Hereford, is expected to bring about 15 jobs early on, Berg said.
“Liquid feeds for dairy and feedlot animals (are) like a salad dressing that is applied to their dry feed for improved palatability, increased intakes, and better fiber digestion from the animal,” Berg said, “resulting in increased milk and meat production.”
Liquid feeds aren’t new to the area, and the use of molasses as the primary ingredient isn’t a new concept either. But Berg said what sets QLF apart is the consistency of their molasses. The company buys 80 percent of all molasses produced in Louisiana, and doesn’t buy from any other area. Berg said that gives QLF a more consistent product than a company that buys molasses from several geographical regions with different soils, climates and regulations.
The company is also working on a specialty product line that includes fertilizers, waste water products, and wild game products — all made with molasses. Once produced, these items are sold either through dealers or directly to feed mills, dairies, and feedlots.
The company had been leasing a facility in Hereford since 2007 — when the CIDC was still pulling in grant money to build the industrial park. After QLF got out of its lease, it looked at numerous cities and felt Clovis had the best combination of proximity to customers and accommodations.
The company purchased land for $325,000, but the city commission approved a $100,000 credit towards the purchase price during its Aug. 18 meeting.
