Kemin Industries is celebrating 61 years since the company’s founding in 1961 with a year-long “61 since ‘61” anniversary campaign. The global commemoration kicked off earlier this year and continued today at Kemin’s worldwide headquarters with the dedication of its solar array installation and a Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity build on the company’s campus.

R.W. and Mary Nelson established the company with $10,000 in savings, an old wool barn for product mixing, and the family living room as the first corporate office. Initially focused on serving the agricultural industry within the Midwestern U.S., Kemin quickly expanded into new industries and countries. Today, Kemin creates products for human and animal health and nutrition, pet food, aquaculture, nutraceutical, food technologies, crop technologies, textile, biofuels and animal vaccine industries.

“Growing up, Kemin was a part of my life from the very beginning, and I’m proud to continue the work and legacy put forth by my parents and the Nelson family,” said Dr. Chris Nelson, president and CEO, Kemin Industries. “In just six decades, Kemin has grown from a single-region operation to serving customers in more than 120 countries with more than 500 specialty ingredients. It’s truly incredible to see what science, innovation and dedication can create to better serve the world and positively impact communities.”

As a global company operating in diverse industries, Kemin made a commitment in 2021 to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Converting to clean energy, including solar power, is a key part of Kemin’s sustainability journey.

Kemin’s on-ground and roof-mounted solar arrays power 100% of its 90,000-square-foot headquarters building with more than 1.046 million kilowatt-hours of energy annually. As one of the largest corporate solar installations in the state of Iowa, Kemin’s on-ground solar panels are part of an active tracking system that follows the sun’s path in the sky for 20% more production power and greater efficiency.

For 61 years, Kemin has focused on transforming tomorrow through its work today, and sustainability, as well as serving the community and those in need, is essential to fostering a better future.

Partnering with Habitat for Humanity, one of its longest-standing community partners both in the U.S. and globally, Kemin hosted an onsite build at its Des Moines campus, where employees volunteered to construct interior and exterior walls of a Habitat house that will be completed during the Iowa State Fair in August.

As the lead sponsor of Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity’s first Iowa State Fair build since 2005, Kemin team members will also be assisting with two build days at the fairgrounds.

“As the impact of climate change continues to increase, we have an imperative to combat its effects and can do so with the use of clean energy, like our solar installations at facilities around the world,” said Dr. Nelson. “We’re also focused on supporting organizations like Habitat for Humanity, which uses construction methods that reduce waste, lessening our effect on the environment while creating sustainable housing within communities. The more we can work together to address serious issues like climate change, the bigger the impact of our shared efforts.”

Kemin founders R.W. and Mary Nelson created Kemin to focus on serving customers and contributing to the community, which established a foundation of servant leadership. As they reflected on the last six decades, R.W. and Mary Nelson stated that, “While we’re immensely proud of what Kemin has become over the past 61 years as a company, we’re most honored and grateful for the efforts of Kemin employees who have dedicated their time and talents to help make the world a better place while continuing to give back within their communities.”

For more than six decades, Kemin has used innovation, scientific expertise and its commitment to customers to create ingredients and solutions that have helped improve the quality of life for billions around the world. The worldwide headquarters’ solar arrays are just one of several similar solar installations planned for Kemin locations around the globe, including at facilities in South Africa and China.

In addition to the solar arrays and Habitat for Humanity build at its headquarters, globally, Kemin has organized tree plantings, hosted customer events, expanded its employee day of service to include all global teams and will be donating funds to several nonprofit organizations in recognition of its 61 years of service since 1961.

To learn more about Kemin’s “61 since ‘61” anniversary campaign, visit kemin.com/61since61.

Source: Kemin