By Jessica Sims

MAXVILLE — MacEwen Grain Inc. has announced plans for a new $10 million feed mill in Maxville, to be the first of its kind in eastern Ontario.

The facility will rely on computer-controlled systems to guide its entire process from receiving, grinding, pelleting and mixing to the shipping of the final product. The new system will provide more accuracy in product handling as well as better product consistency.

This also means MacEwen will be able to increase the number of ingredients added to their custom blends. "The region’s livestock producers will be able to rely on us for rations that match their farms’ individual needs more precisely than ever before," Jim MacEwen, president of the company, said in a speech inaugurating the expansion. "It takes us to the next level."

The computerized system will also improve food safety, MacEwen said. Instead of only inspecting finished products, inspection will now take place throughout the entire production process.

Denis Langlois from MacEwen Grain’s sister company, MacEwen Agricentre, said the new mill will have "the best technology that there is on the market." In turn, it will provide a wider variety of processing equipment and overall savings in operating costs.

MacEwen Grain and MacEwen Agricentre currently employ around 40 full-time workers and 20 part-time. The new mill would shift about 25 of these full-time jobs to Maxville. Currently the old feed mill in St. Isidore only has five full-time positions.

MacEwen is unsure about plans for the old mill but one possibility would be to use it for organic feed, Langlois said.

The mill will be built beside the company’s existing grain elevator. Construction begins this summer and should take about a year to complete.