Grain Processing Corp. complete new alcohol distillery following major investment and compressed timeline

The new distillery at night. Image courtesy of GPC

Grain Processing Corporation (GPC; Muscatine, IA), a member of the Kent Corporation family of companies, has opened a large, high quality, and efficient distillery capable of meeting demand for ethyl alcohol for the manufacture of essential products such as hand sanitizers, disinfectants, mouthwash, cough & cold medicines, as well as active pharma ingredients, vaccine components and Covid-19 testing reagents.

“To produce alcohol to 1 ppm or less total impurities, there are no short cuts,” said Pat Homoelle, president of GPC, in a press release. “Our world-class quality sets us apart and is recognized by our trusted partners who depend upon us to consistently craft gallon after gallon for a range of products from beverage alcohol to pharmaceutical-grade applications.”

The new distillery is the result of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar capital investment, originally announced in 2015. When construction began, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the demand for high purity alcohol, and the project’s timeline was compressed to nearly eight months. The original startup date was July 2021.

“The accelerated completion of the distillery during the pandemic will go down as one of Kent Corporation’s greatest success stories during very challenging circumstances,” said Homoelle.

GPC credits the successful completion of the distillery to the dedication, expertise, and flexibility of its team. The accelerated timeline required additional contract labor and overtime hours, fast-track on equipment and material deliveries, as well as considerable project management and contractor oversite by multiple engineers.