BAY CITY, MICH. — The Michigan Sugar Co.’s new molasses desugarization facility is up and running in Bay City, Mich. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility was held July 31 after operations started in the past few weeks.
The plant will process 100% of the molasses produced as a byproduct of the sugar extraction process, allowing the company to produce an additional 80 million lbs (40,000 tons) of sugar annually. Previously, Michigan Sugar was able to extract sugar from only 60% of its molasses. Plans for the plant were announced in 2021 and ground was broken in June 2022. Total cost of the facility was $109 million, according to the company.
Michigan Sugar Co. is the third largest sugar beet processor in the United States with 865 grower-owners growing sugar beets on about 140,000 acres, 1,000 year-round employees and 1,100 seasonal workers. Sugar production capacity totals about 1.16 billion lbs (580,000 tons) from four Michigan plants in Bay City, Caro, Croswell and Sebewaing. Sugar is marketed under the Pioneer Sugar brand. The company has warehouses and other facilities in Bay City, Carrollton and Bridgeport, Mich., and in Fremont, Findlay and Toledo, Ohio.
