Kemin Industries broke ground July 15 and revealed architectural renderings for a new quality control (QC) laboratory that will be built on site at its worldwide headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.

The new QC lab will include 15,000 sq. ft. of functional showcase labs to exhibit Kemin's advanced analytical capabilities, which ensure the activity, potency and specificity of Kemin's finished goods. The lab will be a working space for Kemin teams and available for customers, the announcement said.

Kemin noted that the lab is an $8 million investment and will open in mid-2021.

"Building a new QC lab reinforces our commitment to delivering on our promise to customers and consumers that what they receive from Kemin is the result of our scientific expertise, innovative technologies and dedication to doing more to make our world better," Kemin president and chief executive officer Dr. Chris Nelson said.

More than 30 scientists from Kemin's human and animal health and nutrition, food technologies and pet food business units will join the Central Analytical Laboratory for Target Analytes & Xenobiotics (CALTAX) lab, which manages the testing of raw material hazards, including dioxins, pesticides and antibiotics, Kemin said.

Bringing together Kemin experts from different specialties into one space will improve efficiency and collaboration of analytics. Kemin noted that it used the same strategy in 2017 when it completed a five-year, $125.5 million overall investment at its corporate headquarters in Des Moines.

While the groundbreaking event was not open to the public due to COVID-19, the company said a larger-scale ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held in 2021 when the QC lab opens.

For more than a half-century, Kemin has been dedicated to using applied science to address industry challenges and offer product solutions to customers in more than 120 countries. Kemin supplies more than 500 specialty ingredients for human and animal health and nutrition, pet food, aquaculture, nutraceuticals, food technologies, crop technologies and textile industries.

Established in 1961, Kemin is privately held, family owned and operated and has more than 2,800 global employees and operations in 90 countries, including manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Russia, San Marino, Singapore, South Africa and the U.S.