Kemin Industries

Kemin Industries is a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services. The company supplies over 500 specialty ingredients for human and animal health and nutrition, pet food, aquaculture, nutraceutical, food technologies, crop technologies and textile industries.

For over half a century, Kemin has been dedicated to using applied science to address industry challenges and offer product solutions to customers in more than 120 countries. Kemin provides ingredients to feed a growing population with its commitment to the quality, safety and efficacy of food, feed and health-related products.

Established in 1961, Kemin is a privately held, family-owned-and-operated company with more than 2,800 global employees and operations in 90 countries, including manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Russia, San Marino, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.

Industries Served

• Animal nutrition and health
• Pet food and rendering technologies
• Food technologies
• Human nutrition and health
• Crop technologies
• Textile auxiliaries
• Aquaculture
• Biofuels
• Biologics

Company History

Kemin Industries (Kemin) was founded in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A. by RW Nelson and Mary Nelson. When the Nelsons started their business, the couple had five children under the age of seven and USD$10,000 in a savings account. The first products Kemin produced answered customers’ requests for specific ingredients, so the company operated with two product lines, a manufacturing plant in an old wool barn, and Mary keeping the books at the family home.

The Nelsons initial goal was to develop innovative agricultural products and market them across the Midwestern United States. Over the past half century, RW and Mary Nelson have strategically guided the company’s growth worldwide to become an industry leader with a reputation for producing high-quality, safe and efficacious food, feed and health-related products. Kemin’s scientific breakthroughs have addressed issues of human health, food safety and protection of the global food supply chain.

During the 1980s, Kemin took on a more structured approach to research and development. Led by Christopher E. Nelson, Ph.D., RW and Mary Nelson’s oldest son and the current President and CEO of Kemin, scientists were challenged to study molecules and understand their modes of action inside living organisms. This new approach to research and development spurred the company’s expansion into new markets. Kemin’s ingredients expanded into animal health, nutraceuticals, pet food, food technologies, crop technologies, textiles, aquaculture and animal vaccines.

Leveraging the chemistry used to manufacture mold inhibitors and antimicrobials for animal feed, scientists discovered shelf-life and freshness benefits for human food.

Kemin antioxidant expertise transcended markets to become a key solution for the pet food industry.

In 1995, Kemin innovated lutein, a carotenoid molecule the company had been selling into the animal feed industry for years, for human use. This led to the establishment of Kemin’s first business unit, Human Nutrition and Health. Kemin adopted the business unit-focused model for other expansion beyond animal nutrition and health into pet food and rendering technologies, food technologies, human nutrition and health and crop technologies and more.

Kemin global expansion highlights include:

• 1970 – Opened first regional headquarters in Herentals, Belgium. The sales and manufacturing facility allowed Kemin to efficiently work with customers across Europe.
• 1988 – Established second regional headquarters with sales and manufacturing facilities in Singapore.
• 1994 – Established sales office site in Zhuhai, China.
• 1998 – Opened sales and manufacturing facilities in Chennai, India.
• 2000 – Moved the Chennai manufacturing facilities to Gummidipundi, India.
• 2002 – Established a manufacturing site in Zhuhai, China.
• 2004 – Purchased sales and manufacturing facility in Indaiatuba, Brazil. Opened sales and manufacturing facility in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• 2009 – Opened second European manufacturing site in Veronella, Italy.
• 2010 – Purchased encapsulation company and facility in Cavriago, Italy.
• 2014 – Created new regional headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• 2017 – Opened state-of-the-art sales and manufacturing facility in Lipetsk, Russia. Acquired a beta-glucan manufacturing facility in Plymouth, Michigan, U.S.A.
• 2018 – Acquired Garmon Chemicals to launch Kemin’s textile auxiliaries business unit in the Republic of San Marino. Launched the new business unit Kemin AquaScience^™ to serve the aquaculture industry.
• 2019 – Announced new global vision and debuted new logo to guide the company to 2042 and beyond.

Kemin remains headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A. with sales, research and manufacturing facilities.

In 2017, Kemin opened a USD$30 million worldwide headquarters building where the wool barn in which the company manufactured its first products once sat.