MFA Incorporated's Aurora Mill Named 2023 Commercial Feed Facility of the Year

Gary Huddleston, AFIA’s director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs, presented Trevor Erwin, plant manager, with the award today during the AFIA’s Feed Education Program, happening in conjunction with the International Production & Processing Expo this week in Atlanta, Ga.

“We take great pleasure in acknowledging those commercial dry facilities that exceed expectations in their commitment to ensuring safe and efficient operations,” said Gary Huddleston, AFIA’s director of feed manufacturing and regulatory affairs, “The MFA Incorporated's Aurora facility is an interesting mix of old and new and demonstrates how facilities can evolve over time and adjust to the needs of a changing industry.”

MFA Incorporated built Aurora Mills’ south tower in the 1960s and the north tower in 1999. Over the years, the adjoining towers’ processes have become more automated, and the south tower installed newer equipment. The facility is a multi-species mill that is approved to manufacture medicated feed and is Safe Feed/Safe Food certified. The feed mill produces about 40,000 tons of feed annually, which can be accredited to its three pelleting systems and the newest addition of a pellet cooler with increased capacity and quality.

The AFIA has been recognizing excellent feed manufacturing facilities through the Feed Mill of the Year program since 1985. Beginning in 2016, the program expanded to the Feed Facility of the Year and began offering awards for an overall winner and four category winners. In 2021, the FFY program separated each category into its own individual program: liquid feed, commercial dry, premix and ingredient, and integrator, with each category having its own facility of the year award. Learn more at afia.org/FFY.

The semi-finalists for AFIA’s 2023 Commercial Feed Facility of the Year award are Kent Nutrition Group of Logansport, Ind., and Marshall, Mo., and Western Milling of Goshen, Calif.

About AFIA

Founded in 1909, the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), based in Arlington, Va., is the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to representing the business, legislative and regulatory interests of the U.S. animal food industry and its suppliers. The organization’s membership is comprised of over 650 domestic and international companies that represent the total feed industry—manufacturers of commercial and integrated feed and pet food, ingredient suppliers, pharmaceutical companies, industry support and equipment manufacturers. AFIA’s members manufacture more than 75% of the feed and 70% of the non-whole grain ingredients used in the country. AFIA is also recognized as the leader on international industry developments, and holds membership in the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF).