Microbial Discovery Group (MDG) is growing in many ways! We began making plans to expand and increase custom fermentation capacity as we realized the potential for growth. To do so, we needed to relocate office and laboratory space from our original Franklin facility to an 80,000 ft² facility located in Oak Creek. MDG Oak Creek now houses three laboratories, office space, spray drying and additional blending capabilities, packaging, and warehousing operations.
We began this expansion in 2021 by leasing 40,000 ft² at the Oak Creek facility, doubling the powder blending room size. This expansion into MDG Oak Creek increased blending capacity and volume while providing space to add blending, milling and other equipment in the future. In addition, an external structure was built to install a 34-ft spray dryer and pilot spray dryer. Our Plant Health and Growth (PHG) market will benefit from the small micron size of spray-dried culture, as they dissolve faster and can be incorporated into field applicators.
Later in 2021, we signed another September-start lease for the second half of the 80,000 ft² Oak Creek facility where we initiated construction, building office space and three new laboratories. The construction of MDG Oak Creek facility was completed Fall of 2022. Because of this laboratory and office expansion, provided the room needed at MDG Franklin to increase custom fermentation capacity by building a 4th 10,000-liters (L) fermentor.
“Phase one we’re building more people space, but also laboratories. We’re building three laboratories in total. That’s important because we plan on tearing down one of the laboratories in Franklin, that makes room for fermentor four, which is crucial to our growth.” said Mike King, PH.D., CEO/CSO, Microbial Discovery Group.
This year, a laboratory at MDG Franklin will be torn down to make room for the installment of the 4th fermentor, with a completion date of 2023. The fermentor increases the custom fermentation capacity from 25,000-L to 35,000-L as we enter into more markets, like PHG. Currently, MDG Franklin has one 5,000-L and two 10,000-L size fermentors. The small to medium fermentors allow us to meet the market’s demand by growing 5-7 pure strains, per customer, one strain at a time.
MDG’s expansions are allotting the growth of our custom fermentation capacity within our current and future markets. This move not only allows more people and larger laboratory space but also makes room for more fermentors in MDG Franklin. We have big goals intending to achieve big things! These expansions are how we will get there.
