OREANDA-NEWS. Midday on Friday, May 6, Cargill, its customers, community leaders, government officials and employees will dedicate a $27 million expansion of the company’s Lake Odessa egg processing facility. The investment provides additional, specialized, egg processing capabilities for an important Cargill customer in support of its branded product business growth needs.

The plant expansion adds approximately 28,000-square-feet of egg processing capabilities and includes specialized equipment for the task. It has also resulted in the creation of 50 new jobs. Prior to the expansion, the Cargill egg processing plant at Lake Odessa employed 187 people. The expansion is increasing the total number of jobs at the plant to 236.  

Contractors completed more than 65,000 accident-free work hours during the 15-month construction schedule. 

“Our Lake Odessa expansion is a collaborative effort between Cargill and its customer, as well as state and local entities, to develop egg processing for an existing product that required cutting edge equipment technology,” explained plant manager Jay Patel. “Both we and our customer have a shared goal for growing our businesses while providing high quality egg protein to U.S. consumers. This investment underscores our commitment to grow our egg business and meet the needs of our customers. It is a wonderful day for Cargill, our customer, Lake Odessa and the state of Michigan, and we are proud of what we have built here.” 

"These new jobs are good news for Lake Odessa and our state,” U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow said. “This expansion is a great testament to Michigan workers and farmers and I applaud Cargill for this important investment.” 

In 2014, a $10.6 million expansion was completed at the Lake Odessa facility, adding 22,500 square feet of cooler and freezer storage space. The plant was opened in 1989 and acquired by Cargill in 1994.