| January 2001 |
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New Production Facilities for Feed-Use Threonine
to Be Built in the United States |
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| Under the three-year management plan launched in 1999, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has carried out measures aimed at becoming a global food and amino acid company originating in Japan. |
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| One part of this effort is the feed-use amino acid business. To meet growing demand in the United States, Ajinomoto Heartland, Inc. (based in Chicago, Illinois) will build a new facility for producing feed-use threonine in Eddyville, Iowa, where the company has a lysine plant. |
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The market for feed-use threonine has expanded rapidly in the last few years. Demand is now estimated at 30,000 tons a year worldwide, and is expected to continue growing by more than 20 percent annually, making this an attractive market.
Currently, AJINOMOTO EUROLYSINE in France produces and sells about 17,000 tons of threonine per year with a 60% market share worldwide, but most is for the European market. The North American market has been slower to develop, and is estimated at around 2,000-3,000 tons per year.
The new feed-use threonine production facilities at Ajinomoto Heartland will produce threonine for the North and South American markets, where demand is expected to grow rapidly. Following feed-use lysine, the new plant will further build the market for feed-use amino acids, and is aimed at providing a stable supply. |
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| With capital investment of 4.2 billion yen, the new facility will have annual production capacity of 10,000 tons, and is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2002. |
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| Ajinomoto conducts its feed-use amino acid business with production bases at six locations around the world, which constitute the AJINOMOTO ANIMAL NUTRITION group, the world's largest feed-use amino acid production network. Ajinomoto intends to maintain its strong number-one position in this business. |
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| [Additional Information] |
| 1. AJINOMOTO ANIMAL NUTRITION: |
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Ajinomoto's feed-use amino acid business has production bases at six locations worldwide (in France, Italy, the U.S.A., Thailand, China and Brazil), and conducts its business globally as the AJINOMOTO ANIMAL NUTRITION group. |
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AJINOMOTO ANIMAL NUTRITION group
AJINOMOTO EUROLYSINE (France)
AJINOMOTO BIOITALIA S.p.A. (Italy)
Ajinomoto Heartland, Inc. (U.S.A.)
Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd. (Thailand)
Chuanhua Ajinomoto Co., Ltd. (China)
Ajinomoto Biolatina Industria e Comercio Ltd. (Brazil) |
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| 2. Profile of Ajinomoto Heartland, Inc. |
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Name: |
Ajinomoto Heartland, Inc.
(name changed in December 2000 from Heartland Lysine, Inc.) |
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Established: |
October 1, 1984 |
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Head office: |
8430 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 650, Chicago, IL 60631-3421, U.S.A. |
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President: |
A. Vrillon |
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Main products: |
Feed-use lysine |
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Capital: |
US$38,135,743 |
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Number of employees: |
86 |
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