Groundbreaking Set for Largest Sugar Refinery in U.S.

Construction officially gets underway Wednesday, February 3, in Gramercy, Louisiana, on what will become one of the largest capacity sugar refineries in the United States.

The new million-ton-per-year sugar refinery is expected to bring more than 500 construction jobs as well as re-new plant jobs in the Gramercy area.

The sugar refinery will be built, owned and operated by Louisiana Sugar Refining, LLC, a joint venture among Sugar Growers and Refiners, Inc., Cargill and Imperial Sugar Company. Sugar Growers and Refiners, Inc., is a Louisiana cooperative representing eight sugar cane mills and more than 700 Louisiana sugar growers in Louisiana.

Worker prepares piling at the LSR construction site.

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services, and Imperial Sugar Company, operator of the current sugar refinery at Gramercy, is America’s second largest sugar producer.

Representatives from Sugar Growers and Refiners, Inc., Cargill and Imperial Sugar will speak about how the joint venture will benefit the community. They will be joined by other local, state and congressional officials.

This event culminates many years of hard work by the growers and Cargill, and now Imperial Sugar. When LSR begins commercial operations in 2011, Cargill will be the exclusive marketer of the industrial sugar produced by the new refinery, Imperial will continue to market their branded and small-package sugar, supplied by LSR bulk sugar, and the growers will continue to produce Louisiana raw sugar.

As the newest sugar refinery in the U.S., LSR represents a secure source of refined sugar for generations to come.
LSR Construction.m4v

Event details:

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010

11:30 a.m. Groundbreaking for the news media
1:30 p.m. Presentation event

Adjacent to the Imperial Sugar Company refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana
1230 5th Avenue
Gramercy, La 70052

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