Zeeland Farm Services Plans Soybean Oil Refinery Expansion

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Family owned and operated Zeeland Farm Services Incorporated (Zeeland, Michigan) is preparing to begin a multi-million dollar soybean oil refinery expansion at their agricultural commodities processing and transportation facility in Zeeland, Michigan.

The company selected engineering firm I.C. Thomasson (Nashville, Tennessee) to provide engineering drawings and Zeeland will act as their own general contractor. They have been interviewing various trade subcontractors to begin construction on the expansion before the cold winter months arrive in Michigan.

Plans are to have the foundations poured and building construction completed before the ground freezes and installation of the refining and processing equipment should begin soon after that. A new tank farm will also be constructed to provide additional soybean oil storage.

Along with the extraction and distillation equipment, the company may also install a transesterfication unit that will convert some of the oil produced at the refinery into the renewable fuel biodiesel.

The company expects the $4.5 million project to be completed and operational by April of 2003.

Zeeland Farm Services, Incorporated was founded in 1950 by Robert G. Meeuwsen and originally called Meeuwsen Produce and Grain. The company bought, sold, and transported grain, feed, and produce in a three state area. In 1992, Bob sold the company to his sons Cliff, Arlen, and Robb. Since the purchase of the company, the sons have added a feed division, a full service grain marketing division and increased the tractor-trailer fleet.