New Bartlett soybean-crush plant opens in Southeast Kansas

Bartlett, a Savage company, announced Sept. 20 that it has completed construction of its state-of-the-art soybean processing plant in Cherryvale, Kansas, and is now starting operations.

The Cherryvale plant will handle up to 49 million bushels of soybeans annually, providing sustainable soy feedstocks for refined vegetable oil, animal feed and renewable transportation fuels.

More than 60 permanent jobs are being created, in addition to jobs and economic activity supported during the plant’s construction, which began in 2022.

“We appreciate the tremendous work of everyone involved in the design, construction and operation of this world-class facility, and the strong support received from community members and federal, state and local officials,” said Bartlett President Bob Knief. “Our new Cherryvale plant will expand markets for area soybean producers and agribusinesses while driving needed economic growth in Southeast Kansas.”

Bartlett hosted a grand-opening event Sept. 19 attended by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Lt. Gov. and Commerce Secretary David Toland, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, and other federal, state and local leaders.

Speakers and guests celebrated the impact Bartlett’s Cherryvale plant will have on jobs, local soybean production and distribution, and economic growth in Montgomery County and Southeast Kansas.

Company leaders highlighted how the facility will support Bartlett’s customers and partners by optimizing North American supply chains for the agriculture and energy industries.

“This impressive facility is far more than a soybean-processing plant,” Kelly said. “It’s where community members will find good employment. It’s where the demand for renewable fuel will be met. As businesses like Bartlett continue to invest in our communities, we will continue to invest in our people.”

Toland said, “We are in a region where it’s sometimes believed that our best days were in the past. What this investment brought back for me, as we pulled up, is this is something that’s very much on the scale of the glory days that people like to talk about at the turn of the 20th century. One-hundred and twenty-five years ago, when heavy industry was pouring into this region and our towns were booming, it looked a lot like this. We’re doing it again, and that is an exciting thing.”

Marshall said, “In Kansas, our farmers and ranchers don’t just work the land—we are stewards of the land. This crush plant will have not only a local impact but will play a larger role in our efforts to leave this world cleaner, healthier and safer than we found it. It took a community to make this happen, and I am so proud to support this mission.”

Sen. Jerry Moran added, “Bartlett has been working with local farmers and grain companies across Kansas to produce soybean oil, provide stable jobs and support the biofuel industry. This new facility will further integrate Kansas’ leading industries—aviation, energy and agriculture—to create soybean oil that can be converted into sustainable aviation fuel. I look forward to seeing this project develop to provide new markets for our farmers and cleaner energy for the aviation industry.”

Bartlett’s Cherryvale site includes the processing plant, product tank farm, grain elevators and a multiloop track system.

The South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, owned and operated by WATCO, provides rail services for the facility, connecting the plant to a network of Class 1 carriers.

The plant’s location also provides easy access to highways 160, 166, 169 and 400.

“We’re excited that this plant will play dual roles in satisfying growing demand for feed and food and also renewable energy,” said Savage CEO Kirk Aubry. “In addition to our new soybean-processing plant in Kansas, we continue to develop a range of sustainable solutions for farmers and food producers.”