ADM to Reduce Ethanol Grind in Response to Market Conditions

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Due to the challenging operating environment, ADM (NYSE: ADM) is currently managing ethanol production throughout its U.S. corn processing network to focus on cash flows and to divert corn grind to other products that are in higher demand, such as alcohol for hand sanitizer.

As part of this process, ADM is temporarily idling ethanol production at the company’s corn dry mill facilities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Columbus, Nebraska. ADM notified approximately 90 employees in each facility today that they will be furloughed in the coming weeks. During the furlough, employees will continue to receive medical benefits and will be eligible to apply for state and federal unemployment benefits. They will also have the option to apply for other open positions at ADM. The anticipated length of the furlough is currently four months, but the timeframe is dependent on market conditions and could change.

ADM has also reduced the ethanol grind at its corn wet mill plants and rebalanced grind to produce more industrial alcohol for the sanitizer market and industrial starches for the containerboard market to better align production with current demand.

“These are very difficult decisions in a very challenging time, and unfortunately, the current market conditions and the low consumer demand for gasoline at this time have greatly impacted the entire ethanol industry,” said Chris Cuddy, president, Carbohydrate Solutions. “Our primary focus is the respect and care of our employees during this time, and we are doing everything we can to support them until market conditions improve and we can look at ways to restart production.”

About ADM

At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry-advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow. We’re a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over. Learn more at www.adm.com.