CHS Inc., the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative, has announced plans to build a $700 million soybean processing facility near Evansville, Wisconsin. The plant is expected to process 80 million bushels of soybeans annually, with construction set to begin within weeks and completion targeted for fall 2028.
CHS, a global agribusiness serving customers in 65 countries, says the investment will expand its oilseed processing network and increase the cooperative’s total soybean processing capacity by roughly two thirds once the Evansville plant comes online. The facility is expected to create approximately 80 permanent jobs, in addition to supporting an average of 250 construction workers, with up to 400 at peak, over a build period of 24 to 30 months.
CHS Soybean Facility Adds Capacity for Renewable Fuels Demand
The Evansville plant will have the capacity to process 234,000 bushels of soybeans per day, producing approximately 1 billion pounds of soybean oil and 2 million tons of soybean meal annually. CHS says U.S. soybean crush capacity has expanded by 24 percent since 2022, driven largely by demand for domestic feedstocks used in renewable fuels.
In addition, soybean oil demand has shifted significantly toward biomass-based diesel production, and state and federal biofuel policy has reinforced that trend. Soybean oil from the Evansville facility is expected to serve renewable fuel markets and CHS’s own refinery in Mankato, Minnesota, while the meal will serve livestock feed markets locally and regionally.
Furthermore, the project fits into a broader pattern of recent CHS investment across its supply chain. The cooperative expanded crush capacity at Fairmont, Minnesota, in 2023 and refining capacity at Mankato in 2024, and it has also grown export and grain handling infrastructure near New Orleans and St. Louis.
Evansville Site Chosen for Rail Access and Regional Soybean Supply
CHS says Evansville was selected after an extensive internal and third-party evaluation of potential locations across the Midwest. The site offers a strong local soybean supply, significant demand for soybean meal from regional livestock producers, and access to Union Pacific rail, river and road transportation corridors.
Also, southern Wisconsin currently has a gap in soybean processing capacity, which the Evansville facility is designed to fill. The location benefits further from its proximity to CHS affiliate cooperatives across the region, which the company said reinforced its choice of site.
Additionally, CHS has coordinated with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the project meets air quality and safety standards. The facility is designed to move a large volume of grain efficiently, with soybean unloading capacity of 40 trucks per hour and up to 1,000 trucks per day at peak.
Wisconsin Officials Highlight Jobs and Economic Impact
“Investments like this help CHS create additional value for our owners and customers by expanding market access, strengthening our processing network and creating new demand opportunities for U.S.-grown soybeans,” said John Griffith, executive vice president of agriculture business and CHS Hedging.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers welcomed the announcement. “I am proud to support and have a partner in CHS as they work to expand soybean processing right here in Wisconsin,” he said. Wisconsin Soybean Association President Doug Rebout added that the additional capacity gives growers a reliable market close to home and creates long-term opportunities for the state’s soybean meal and oil.
Moreover, the soybean value chain already contributes hundreds of millions of dollars annually and supports more than 1,200 jobs across Wisconsin’s second and third congressional districts, according to the United Soybean Board, NOPA and the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board.
Wisconsin’s south central corridor has drawn other large scale manufacturing investment in recent years. In nearby Verona, roughly 25 miles from Evansville, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals built a $250 million drug manufacturing campus that broke ground in 2022 and has since received its full certificate of occupancy, growing to nearly 300,000 square feet of laboratory, office and manufacturing space. Governor Evers championed both projects as evidence that the state’s agriculture and biomanufacturing sectors are expanding side by side.
Project Overview
- Project Name: CHS Evansville Soybean Processing Facility
- Developer: CHS Inc.
- Location: Near Evansville, Wisconsin, Rock County
- Project Type: Soybean processing (crush) plant
- Project Value: Approximately $700 million
- Processing Capacity: 234,000 bushels per day, or 80 million bushels annually
- Annual Output: Approximately 1 billion pounds of soybean oil and 2 million tons of soybean meal
- Construction Timeline: Expected to begin within weeks of the September 2026 announcement; 24 to 30 months to complete
- Target Completion: Fall 2028
- Permanent Jobs: Approximately 80
- Construction Workforce: Average of 250 contractors and skilled laborers, up to 400 at peak
- Logistics Access: Union Pacific rail, river and road transportation corridors
- Regulatory Coordination: Reviewed with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Network Context: Complements existing CHS oilseed processing at Fairmont and Mankato, Minnesota, which together process about 119 million bushels annually
- Economic Impact: Part of a soybean value chain contributing hundreds of millions of dollars annually and supporting more than 1,200 jobs across Wisconsin’s second and third congressional districts, according to the United Soybean Board, NOPA and the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board
Project Team
- Owner and Developer: CHS Inc.
- Hedging and Risk Management Affiliate: CHS Hedging
- Industry Association: Wisconsin Soybean Association
- Public Body: Office of Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers
- Local Government: City of Evansville, Wisconsin
- Environmental Review: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- General Contractor: Not publicly disclosed
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