Darling Ingredients Inc. announced the opening on Jan. 2, 2019, of its second organic fertilizer production facility in Turlock, Cal. The new state-of-the-art facility is located on a 21-acre site and will have the ability to annually produce 35,000 tons of Nature Safe Natural & Organic Fertilizer.

The new plant will also provide 4,500 tons of storage capacity to meet the needs of organic growers operating in California and the entire western region of the U.S. Darling has operated Nature Safe out of its original Henderson, Ky., plant since the early 1990s, where it will continue to produce its premium fertilizer for customers in the rest of the country. The strength of the organic fertilizer market in the western U.S. has Nature Safe already working on plans to double the new Turlock plant's production capacity by the end of 2019.

Mike Manning, Darling vice president of organic fertilizer and innovation, stated that the company recently has become focused on a growth strategy in California by which it could leverage Darling's diverse supply of animal feed ingredients. With long-established rendering facilities in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno and Turlock, Cal., that produce feather meal, blood meal and meat and bone meal, the company said its Nature Safe brand is able to produce the highest-quality organic fertilizers with cost-effective proficiency.

When the new Turlock plant begins production in January, it will bring on a new management team. West regional commercial business manager Dan Rodriguez will develop Nature Safe's go-to-market strategies. Kevin Van Dewark has joined Darling as plant manager for the new Turlock fertilizer plant, and Mayra Pena will be its new office manager.

Darling Ingredients is a global leader in the production of sustainable natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients used by the food, feed, pharmaceutical, pet food, fertilizer and fuel markets. Nature Safe is the company's organic fertilizer brand, serving customers throughout the U.S.