MANKATO, MN - Agristrand Mankato, LLC., North America’s only source for soy fiber based particleboard  and door core products,  is pleased to announce that production has commenced at it’s  160,000 sq. ft. Mankato, Minnesota,  manufacturing facility.

Agristrand is a manufacturer of eco-friendly soy fiber based soyboard and soycore.  Fiber is regionally sourced, annually renewable and products contain no added formaldehyde (NAF).  The company is providing a new value added crop for area farmer/producers, and supplying the construction trade with a true “green” alternative.

The manufacturing facility was purchased in November, 2011, and has undergone major transformations with the addition of a proprietary fiber processing plant and many upgrades and improvements to produce a fully automated production line.  The plant is currently rated at 40MM sq. ft. production capacity.

Agristrand will be taking advantage of this upcoming soybean harvest and is working with producers on best practices to harvest a superior fiber for their niche board production.  The soy straw is a waste product as a result of the soybean harvest and would typically be chopped and redistributed onto the field.  Their soy acquisition team is contracting with farmers for approximately 45,000 acres of baled soy straw from an area within a 75 mile radius of Mankato.

The construction trade has an intense interest in the products as both soyboard and soycore product lines contribute to green building programs including the US Green Building Council’s LEED Program, Green Globes and National Association of Home Builder’s National Green Building Program. Characteristics include: * fiber is regionally sourced, *fiber is considered recycled content, *fiber is rapidly renewable, and *all products contribute to indoor air quality and contain no added formaldehyde.  Projects utilizing Agristrand products within a 500 mile radius enjoy additional green benefits supporting the use of regional resources and reducing the impacts resulting from transportation.

The company takes pride in their leadership in the area providing a safe workplace for their valued employees and supplying sustainable products to the trade.  Agristrand isproviding environmental, social and economic benefits while protecting the environment.

Source: Agristrand Mankato, LLC