State in the running for malting plant

A Milwaukee company will decide in the next four months whether to build a malting plant in Montana or one of
two neighboring states, Lt. Gov. Karl Ohs said.

By the AP Helena IR

His comments came after a recent trip to Milwaukee, where he met with officials of Froedtert Malting Corp. to discuss their plans for
opening a $52 million plant in the West.
“They are seriously considering Montana,” Ohs said, adding that company executives have expressed particular interest in the Great
Falls area because of its access to natural gas and water.
The company’s major concern is with transportation costs, he said.
“There’s a few questions yet they’re still working out,” he said in an interview. “It’s going to be a business decision. But I think we
have a lot of competitive advantages that weigh heavy in our favor.”
Because of disease problems with malting barley crops in the Midwest, malting companies are beginning to move their operations
westward, Ohs explained. Also, the industry is attracted to Montana because of its higher quality and greater production of barley,
he said.
The state produced 29.5 million bushels of barley last year, ranking the state third in the nation.
Froedtert also is considering sites in Wyoming and North Dakota for the proposed plant that would employ about 30 people and
take two years to build, Ohs said. The company expects production to start in 2005 or 2006.
Froedtert buys barley in Canada and the United States, and produces malt for several brewing companies.
In preparation for brewing, barley is cleaned and soaked to start the germination process. The sprouted grain is then kiln-dried or
toasted to stop the germination process and to prepare the grain for milling, transport and storage.
About 13 percent of barley produced worldwide is processed into malt.

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