The trū Shrimp Co., a pioneer in healthy, innovative and sustainable shrimp aquaculture, recently announced that it is planning to build its first shrimp production facility — "a Harbor" — in Madison, S.D.

Trū Shrimp’s advanced technology is designed to raise shrimp in a near natural and disease-free environment, the company said in its announcement. Construction is expected to break ground this summer in Madison’s Lakeview Industrial Park, with the exact timeline pending the completion of permitting and financing.

“We are excited to be working with the city of Madison and the Lake Area Improvement Corp. in bringing safe and sustainable shrimp to the U.S. consumer,” said Michael Ziebell, trū Shrimp president and chief executive officer. “Though we’re headquartered in Minnesota, trū Shrimp is truly a Midwest company. Building our first Harbor in Madison reaffirms our commitment to the broader region.”

“South Dakota is pleased to welcome its newest corporate citizen, trū Shrimp, to Madison,” South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard. “The growing aquaculture industry, led by trū Shrimp, is not only a great fit for Madison but also a natural fit for our state’s agricultural heritage.”

Trū Shrimp said its technology changes the way shrimp are raised, free of chemicals and antibiotics. The company calls its facilitie “Harbors” to reflect these new processes and said this new approach will "revolutionize" the way seafood companies meet the demands of their customers. Trū Shrimp’s processes enable shrimp to grow in shallow water that is cleaned and reused.

Luverne, Minn., was previously identified as the site for trū Shrimp’s first Harbor. However, there are open items related to the Luverne site that need to be addressed before trū Shrimp can proceed, the company said. “It is a matter of timing; our timeline for capital financing and construction in 2019 does not allow adequate time to resolve the items in Luverne. Locating the first Harbor in Madison not only meets the critical components of our business model but our timeline as well,” Ziebell said.