A Minnesota company has announced it has received approval to move to the next stage in the development of a 67-acre complex that will include a shrimp hatchery.
Last month, the board of directors for trū Shrimp authorized company officials to finalize on the construction plans and to begin a plan for obtaining funds for the Luverne Bay Harbor Complex. The company first announced the plan in June 2017. In a press release, the company said it hopes to secure the financing by June 2019, with groundbreaking starting a short time later.
Officials expect it will take two years to build the facility, but some of the operations could start next year while crews finish construction. Luverne is located in the southwestern corner of the state, roughly 70 miles from Marshall, which is the home for Ralco, trū’s parent company.
"This is a big moment for trū Shrimp, and a decision the board didn't take lightly," trū Shrimp Board Chairman Brian Knochenmus said. “Three years of research accompanied by painstaking engineering, construction development, and creation of a thorough business plan all enabled the Board to agree to proceed with Luverne Bay Harbor and take the next steps toward commercialization. The investments made in Balaton’s Innovation Center, Balaton Cove Hatchery, and our magnificent Balaton Bay Reef are leading the way to Luverne Bay Harbor and many more harbors in the future; a very exciting future.”
According to the Marshall Independent, the Luverne facility will include a 42,000-square-foot hatchery that can produce two million baby shrimp annually. When they mature, they will be sent to the harbor facility where they will be raised until they are big enough to harvest.
Company officials said there may be plans in the future to build another harbor and hatchery in Marshall. In August, the company opened its first facility, the Balaton Cove Hatchery.
“Behind all this technology is an outstanding team of scientists, engineers and technicians that have brought the trū Shrimp vision to reality,” Ziebell said. “The team and I are very proud and excited to continue the next step in our journey in Luverne. The City of Luverne and Rock County officials have been great partners in this process and we’re honored to join their community.”
Photo courtesy of trū Shrimp
