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Belgian processor Agristo says North Dakota chosen for US factory; company meeting growers and building local supply chain
Summary
Agristo representatives told the council the company selected North Dakota for a future U.S. factory and will develop seed and commercial grower supply chains; company agronomist said Agristo plans to work with roughly 25 growers initially and expects to expand to 40–50 growers by 2027.
Representatives for Agristo, a Belgian potato processor, addressed the Grand Forks City Council on Monday to outline the company’s site-selection work and next steps for local supply-chain development after choosing North Dakota for a planned U.S. factory.
Joachim (Agronomy representative) told the council he led Agristo’s multi-state review of North American potato-growing regions beginning in 2022 and recommended North Dakota after field visits and assessments of water availability, land availability and whether the company’s leadership felt it would “feel at home” with local farmers and the community. Joachim said the company made a unanimous decision in December 2023 to pursue North Dakota.
Agristo’s immediate work in the region focuses on developing a raw-material supply chain and seed pipeline. Joachim said he is meeting this week with about 25 commercial growers to establish initial production contracts and with six seed growers to develop the seed pipeline for Agristo varieties. He said Agristo will support growers with agronomy assistance and storage planning and that the company expects to scale to roughly 40–50 growers by 2027 to supply the plant.
Council members asked about the factory site, relocation of company staff, and higher-skilled positions. Joachim said Agristo will choose a final factory parcel in the coming month and that some agronomy and construction staff will relocate temporarily during the buildout; he said the long-term business will be run locally and that company leadership anticipates hiring local management and operations staff.
City staff and council members emphasized the need for clarity on property acquisitions, any required rail or BNSF agreements and the timeline for formal contracts. Agristo staff confirmed they are meeting with growers and the state; the city said it has been supporting introductions to growers and other stakeholders. Agristo also told the council it intends to file materials required by national investment-review processes where applicable (the council discussed CFIUS in questions), and staff said they would provide a list of Agristo contacts and the company agreed to provide a roster of representatives who can speak on the project and their responsibilities.
The company’s local hiring and construction program was discussed in general terms; Agristo said the company expects to employ several hundred workers in total once operations stabilize and confirmed that the company intends to run operations under local management once the plant is operating.
Council members asked that Agristo provide a contact list of company decision-makers, an updated schedule for the factory site selection, and clarity on any investment-review filings. Agristo agreed to provide those items and to continue stakeholder engagement in the coming months.
