World Grain - March 2023 - 46

FEATURE: EXECS SEE BRIGHT FUTURE FOR ADM MILLING UNIT
The closing of
older flour mills
in California,
Illinois, Kansas
and Minnesota
and moving
production
capacity to
its new mill
(above) in
Mendota,
Illinois, US, has
contributed to
greater energy
efficiency in
US milling
operations.
" Essentially we have a utilities group that travels
around the world going into plants looking for inefficiencies,
particularly on energy and water usage, " he
said. " Their work is done in ways that allows them to
take best practices to all of our 850-plus locations. "
The teams review the plant schematics and seek ways
to reduce energy costs, perhaps addressing a vapor leak
where heat may be escaping. The efforts have led to reuse
of heat and water across ADM's plants, efforts that
have paid dividends with the escalation of energy costs.
" It's good business, and it's also a sustainable way to
get ahead, " Cuddy said.
He estimated the efforts have generated 25% savings
in energy use over the past decade.
" And then of course if they find something in one
mill, then they go to the other 45 that we have, " Cuddy
said. " It's certainly an advantage that we have when
you can spread that wealth of knowledge for that sustainable
journey around being better on energy usage,
water usage. "
Among the efforts around carbon sequestration,
Cuddy said ADM has been pumping carbon dioxide
into the ground for over 11 years, long before such activity
attracted much interest.
" We are operating the only Class 6 well in the country,
meaning we're putting CO₂ underground just to put
it underground ... forever, " he said.
Cuddy said ADM's experience has taught it invaluable
lessons about sustainability commitments. First,
objectives always must be science-based. Additionally,
the company will not make a sustainability commitment
" until we have a path to achieve it. "
Solutions-centered business
In looking to bring nutrition solutions into the menu of
milling offerings, Cuddy said ADM is seeking opportunities
to move beyond just providing " flour FOB our plant. "
46
" We are looking to the health and nutrition group
to help us penetrate even further into that customer to
help them with their other needs, " he said.
For his part, Kruse said the company's track record
of developing innovative solutions for customers was
central both in his decision to join the milling business
as president and the company's decision to move the
milling business from Kansas. Kruse said innovative
solutions stands atop a list of five strategic pillars that
have been established for Milling and Baking Solutions.
Cuddy said he and ADM Chief Executive Officer
Juan Luciano had noted success Kruse enjoyed building
the business of Stratas Foods, a joint venture (50/50
owned by ADM and ACH Food Companies) focused
on the specialty category of customized oils and shortening
products for bakers and other customers.
" I was at Stratas, and the message I heard from Chris
is we have a phenomenal opportunity with our milling
business, " Kruse said. " We have a phenomenal
opportunity with the existing portfolio but also with
the broader portfolio within ADM, particularly around
the nutrition business. The opportunity is to take a lot
of these great functional ingredients they've created
around heart health, digestive health, cognitive health,
incorporate those into flour blends, incorporate those
into bakery mixes. We haven't done that before for
whatever reason. We've got the teams together now.
We're centralized. They said, 'We want you to lead that
and make that happen.' They got me very excited because
what I get passionate about is providing those
types of solutions to our customers because it really
changes the whole conversation that you have with the
customer. Those aren't the transactional discussions
about price. You have strategic discussions about how
you're really going to partner to provide these valueadded
solutions. "
ADM also has ongoing efforts around innovation
March 2023 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - March 2023

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