The Espoma Company to build new processing facility

The Espoma Company, a manufacturer and marketer of organic fertilizer, is constructing a new processing facility in Hegins, Pennsylvania, that is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

It will have the ability to dry, blend and granulate organic ingredients into prilled fertilizer that is ideal for spreading across lawns and gardens.

Espoma’s new facility will be unique in that it will utilize a granulation system to make ‘prills’ that are more ideal for the fertilizer industry, where sizing, uniformity, durability, dust control and the ability to apply using spreaders are more critical.

“In our early years as a company, we were fully integrated. We could pulverize, dry, blend and package organic fertilizers that were fine powders," says Espoma President Jeremy Brunner. "But when much of the agricultural industry left South Jersey, we became reliant on our suppliers to dry and eventually pelletize material, while our facility in Millville (New Jersey) focused on bulk blending and packaging. After losing some key suppliers over the last few years, we decided to return to our roots and be in control of our own destiny. This new facility helps ensure a continuous supply of raw material, provides us with ample capacity for future growth, and improves the physical quality of our product.”

Espoma located its new facility in central Pennsylvania, where an abundant amount of raw materials are available nearby. Espoma will take millions of pounds of these materials from local farms and divert them from land application, thereby reducing potential nutrient runoff in nearby waterways. These products will then ship in bulk to Espoma’s Millville facility for further blending and packaging. Excess capacity will be available for commercial customers to buy in bulk truckloads or totes.