Pritzker, Incobrasa break ground on $250 million expansion of Gilman facility

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A soybean processing and biofuel producer in Iroquois County is expanding thanks to $250 million from the Pritzker administration. The governor joined local and state leaders to break ground on an expansion of the Incobrasa manufacturing facility.

Incobrasa has been a popular manufacturer in Illinois since 1997. The company takes soybeans from fields in Central and Southern Illinois and crushes the crop in their facility in Gilman.

"Crushing is such a huge part of the soybean industry because soybeans as they leave the field need to be processed to be utilized in industrial purposes whether it's cooking oil, biodiesel, or going into the animal feed markets," said Andrew Larson with the Illinois Soybean Association. "Incobrasa is such a great Illinois story. It's our only privately owned crush facility in the state of Illinois currently."

The Brazilian business received an economic development for a growing economy (EDGE) tax credit to add a 170,000 square foot crushing facility onto the existing campus. Gov. JB Pritzker said this move will help create 40 new full-time construction and installation jobs. The expansion will also allow Incobrasa to retain 200 jobs for Iroquois County and the surrounding area.

"The company will more than double its production capacity by 2030," Pritzker said. "That's a win for Gilman, for Illinois, and for America."

Incobrasa also plans to build a 50 acre solar array to generate 5 megawatts of energy to fuel the plant. State and local leaders said the expansion is an exciting investment for a company focused on the future of renewable resources.

"Illinois is currently fourth among all states in biodiesel production and third in consumption with around 160 million gallons consumed annually," said Sen. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City). "Investing in plans such as this will help ensure that we are meeting the recent demands of this high blend renewable fuel."

Bennett said Illinois should continue to lead the nation in soybean production by creating more jobs and boosting the economy.

Aluizio Ribeiro, the president and CEO of Incobrasa Industries, thanked Pritzker, Deputy Governor Andy Manar and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for their dedication to ensuring businesses flourish and expand in Illinois.

"Today is an exciting day for Incobrasa and our community," Ribeiro said. "Because of the EDGE tax credit, we will be able to expand our workforce and our footprint with local farmers."