Page 47 - Innovation Delaware 2018

AGRICULTURE
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has people on site with its farmers, helping to find the best times and methods of delivery for the vaccines.
The 300 employees
at the Millsboro facility include microbiologists, biologists, animal scientists, chemists, engineers and mechanics. “It’s quite a mix,” Holzbauer notes. “It’s basically all kinds of science majors that we are looking for.”
The company’s newest innovation, already on the market in Europe, is called INNOVAX-ND-IBD.
It’s manufactured using
a new, biotech process
and protects against three highly infectious diseases in poultry: infectious bursal disease, Newcastle disease and Marek’s disease. “With one shot, you’re treating three different diseases,” says Holzbauer. Merck expects the new vaccine to be available here late this year. ID
COMPANY TO WATCH
When decision-makers at Milwaukee, Wis.-based Proximity Malt went on
the hunt for a Mid-Atlantic location, they struck gold on the Delmarva Peninsula. An abandoned feed mill in Laurel boasted concrete bins that were perfect for the company’s purposes.
But the malt company, which was started in 2015, appreciated the area for more than the storage tanks. “Delaware gives us access
to winter malting barley, which has not been used
a lot in the brewing, distilling and food space,” says AMY GERMERSHAUSEN
of Proximity’s sales and marketing department.
“We think it has a lot
of potential.”
The Delmarva and Chesapeake Bay region is brimming with brewpubs
and breweries that can benefit from locally grown and malted barley.
It is also full of
local farmers who are already growing barley. Traditionally, however, it’s been used in chicken feed.
“I had no idea there were so many chickens in Delaware,” Germershausen says.
According to the Delmarva Poultry Association’s figures, farmers in the Delmarva area raised 605 million chickens in 2017 — up
7 percent from 2007 — with a wholesale value of $3.4 billion. Meeting the demand for feed requires a lot of farms.
“We just needed to work with them on changing some of the varieties that they grew, and once they had
that down, on improving
Proximity Malt
the quality for malting,” Germershausen says.
It’s easy to see the appeal for Delmarva farmers. The crop is planted in October and harvested in early June, which allows them to reap the rewards of multiple harvests. While growing over the winter, the crop also helps prevent soil erosion. “It’s a really good deal for everyone involved,” she says.
Laurel shares much in common with Proximity Malt’s new site in southern Colorado. At both locations, the barley supply chain was underutilized, Germershausen says. Both areas let Proximity Malt work closely with growers and end-users on a regional basis.
In addition to what Germershausen calls a “sophisticated farmer economy,” Laurel benefits from a network of transportation options.
Then, of course, there is the feed mill, which has concrete bins for segmented storage. Proximity Malt paid
$950,000 for the
18-acre site, which was once occupied by Laurel Grain Co. The grounds required extensive cleanup work, including the removal of some metal materials.
The Laurel plant went live in January 2018. There are currently 16 employees, but the company hopes to add at least four more.
Thus far, Germershausen says, county and state officials have been welcoming. “We’ve found Delaware a good place to do business.” ID
—Pam George
MATT MUSIAL (REGIONAL MANAGER, LAUREL PLANT)
INNOVATION DELAWARE 45
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DELAWARE AGRICULTURE
AT A GLANCE
n Delaware has 2,451 farms across 510,250 acres, and over $1 billion in annual economic impact from agriculture.
n The state’s 21 community- run farmers’ markets boasted $3 million dollars in sales last year, their second- highest total ever.
n Delaware produced
more than 8 million bushels of soybeans in 2017.
n Corn, according to FarmFlavor.com, is the state’s main crop. Broilers (chickens raised for meat) are the most valuable agricultural product, and apples are
the leading fruit crop. ID
JOE DEL TUFO/MOONLOOP PHOTOGRAPHY