Scoular to add soybean dehulling facility in US to address growing demand
The expansion is expected to strengthen the company’s ability to supply customers with food-grade soybeans for products such as plant-based beverages while creating additional market opportunities for growers.
USA – Scoular has announced a major investment in a new soybean dehuller at its Covington, Ohio, facility to meet surging market demand from domestic and international food and beverage manufacturers.
Expected to be fully operational by mid-2027, the strategic expansion will allow the employee-owned company to produce high-quality dehulled soybeans while broadening market opportunities for regional agricultural producers of identity-preserved, non-GMO, and organic crops.
The Covington plant, which currently specializes in cleaning and color-sorting food-grade soybeans, will become Scoular’s second dedicated dehulling site.
It builds directly on the success of a similar operation launched at the company’s Andres, Illinois, facility in 2023.
The investment also creates additional opportunities for producers who supply identity-preserved, non-GMO and organic soybeans to the facility.
By leveraging Covington’s established grower network, experienced workforce, and existing cleaning equipment, Scoular aims to streamline operations and enhance product quality within a single facility rather than establishing a separate processing plant.
Dehulling removes the outer seed coat of the soybean before downstream processing, yielding an ingredient with a higher protein concentration and faster water absorption compared to whole beans.
These functional attributes significantly improve extraction efficiency, texture, processing speeds, and finished-product consistency for manufacturers producing plant-based consumer goods, particularly soy milk.
The facility expansion is propelled by the rapid growth of the global plant-based beverage industry, which is projected to maintain an annual growth rate of nearly 14% through 2032.
Commercial food and beverage companies are increasingly seeking reliable, long-term contracts for specialized soy ingredients that satisfy strict identity-preservation and traceability standards. Processing the beans directly at the Covington elevator minimizes external handling steps, helping preserve segregation discipline and supply integrity.
According to Scoular leadership, the Covington project directly reflects the strong relationships cultivated between food manufacturers and Midwest grain producers.
By integrating dehulling into the Ohio site, Scoular aims to capture higher value for local farmers while expanding its presence in the growing market for specialty plant-based ingredients.
Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Scoular generates US$7.3 billion in annual revenue and operates an extensive global trade and ingredient network spanning over 100 facilities worldwide.
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