Western Sugar Growers Buy Processing Plants

May 3, 2002

Western sugar beet growers have agreed to buy six sugar processing factories. The move is expected to help farmers stay in business.

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), who assisted the growers with federal loan guarantees and navigation through the red tape of federal regulation, congratulated the growers. Sugar beet growers from Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and Colorado decided to form the Rocky Mountain Sugar Growers Cooperative after Tate and Lyle Sugar Company announced it was planning to close sugar processing facilities in the region.

The Rocky Mountain Sugar Cooperative acquired the Western Sugar Company with financing from, among other sources, CIT Business Credit and the growers, many of whom received loan guarantees from the USDA. Western Sugar Company is a division of Tate and Lyle Sugar which owns six sugar factories in Billings, MT, Lovell, Scottsbluff and Bayard, NE. and Greeley and Fort Morgan, CO.