FRANKFORT, KY. — EnviroFlight LLC, an insect producer supplying black soldier fly larvae ingredients to the animal and plant nutrition markets and subsidiary of Darling Ingredients, Inc., is investing $20 million to expand its processing facility in Maysville. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced the development on Dec. 10.

The current facility, established in 2018, spans 112,500 square feet on Progress Way in Maysville. The facility expansion will add more than 173,000 square feet to the site and is expected to add 40 full-time jobs in the area. The company currently employs 73 people in Maysville.

"We are excited to expand our US capacity as the demand for insect-based ingredients continues to grow,” said Liz Koutsos, president of EnviroFlight. “EnviroFlight's concerted efforts to gain US regulatory approval for our products, as well as our core strengths in agriculture, feed manufacturing and the animal nutrition industry, uniquely position us for growth in this exciting industry. The decision to expand in Maysville was an easy one due to the incredible support we have received from Maysville, Mason County and the State of Kentucky. We are proud to be part of the Kentucky AgriTech initiative, as the first commercial scale producer of black soldier fly larvae in the US"

New positions include production and processing technicians, engineering, data analysis and statistician staff. The average wage for these positions will be $22 per hour plus benefits. The expansion is expected to begin in January and wrap up by September 2021.

"As a key contributor to the commonwealth's agritech industry, it's a testament to EnviroFlight and Kentucky's partnership that the company will expand so soon after opening in Maysville," Beshear said. "This project, with its impact on Mason County and the surrounding region's workforce, will help build a better future for Kentuckians. I want to thank EnviroFlight for growing its presence in the commonwealth, and I expect we will see much more in the years ahead."

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) approved a 15-year performance-based incentive agreement with EnviroFlight for the job-creating facility expansion. The agreement could provide up to $800,000 in tax incentives if its job creation goals are met. KEDFA also approved up to $100,000 in tax incentives for the company through its Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA).

The company was founded in 2009 by Darling Ingredients to produce sustainable insect ingredients for the pet food, animal feed and plant-based nutrition sectors.

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