ADM to expand capacity at UP-served grain elevator in Oklahoma
8/13/2026
By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
Oklahoma is a key part of U.S. operations for ADM. The global agricultural processor and supply chain management company maintains 20 production facilities, 20 crop procurement locations, a trucking terminal and an ocean port in Oklahoma and neighboring states Kansas and Texas.
Among the Sooner State facilities for ADM — more commonly known as Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. — is a grain elevator in Optima served by Union Pacific Railroad. The facility enables the company to play a crucial role in connecting grain and feed products grown nationwide to livestock markets in the state's panhandle region, one of the country's largest livestock-feeding areas.
Over the past few years, feed consumption has increased in the region.
"Demand for feed products continues to grow, in addition to corn volume," said ADM spokesperson Dane Lisser in an email.
So, the company needs to expand capacity at the elevator, specifically rail capacity. To that end, ADM is poised to start a multimillion-dollar project involving various facility enhancements designed to significantly increase throughput for corn and corn gluten feed pellets by reducing train unloading times about 50%.
Each year, UP moves millions of bushels of corn from growing regions to domestic processing plants, feedlots and export gateways using specialized logistics networks and covered hoppers.Union Pacific RailroadTo be completed next year, the project calls for the construction of additional track capacity to handle 150 more rail cars and a new rail unloading pit with two hard car diggers.
"Construction work will begin in the coming days, and we hope to finish by the summer of 2027," said Lisser.
The project will help the elevator move higher volumes of grain and feed products more efficiently, strengthening the movement of grain and feed products through the company's North American supply chain, ADM officials say. In addition, the work will provide more flexibility and boost efficiencies to better meet customers' needs.
Meanwhile, ADM also is upgrading its corn processing facility in Clinton, Iowa, that's served by UP and CPKC.
Similarly pegged for completion by summer 2027, the project calls for adding two new high-speed receiving pits each designed to handle up to 25,000 bushels of corn per hour, creating additional grain storage capacity and improving infrastructure to help move corn more efficiently through the facility. Other work involves improving the facility's inbound scale systems and paving a portion of an access road.
Moreover, ADM is expanding capacity at four of its U.S. soybean production facilities to boost annual soybean crush capacity. To be completed by late 2028 or early 2029, the work will be performed at facilities located in Frankfort, Indiana; Deerfield, Missouri; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Spiritwood, North Dakota.
The work involves storage improvements and optimizations, multiple equipment upgrades, and conveying, meal storage and related system enhancements.
