The DarPro Solutions processing plant is pictured above. It is part of Darling Ingredients, and is located on the south side of the city of Blue Earth. Some changes at the plant were recently announced.

Rumors that have circulated around Blue Earth for the last week or two about Darling Ingredients plant in Blue Earth closing are not true, according to a statement from the company’s main office.

They are not closing, says Jillian Fleming, global communications director for Darling Ingredients.

“Darling Ingredients is modifying activities at its Blue Earth facility to better serve its customers and enhance overall operations efficiencies,” Fleming stated. “As part of this transition, certain activities are in the process of being relocated to a nearby site.”

The Blue Earth facility, which currently employs 38 individuals, will retain 22 employees.

“Where possible, we are identifying other opportunities within our company for those employees whose positions are being eliminated,” Fleming added. “We do not anticipate any impacts to our customers.”

The Blue Earth business has been around since 1928, when Emil Kark came to the city and started Blue Earth Rendering Company, for the disposal of dead animals.

The company remained in the Kark family until 1989, when it was purchased by Darling International.

Darling International, now known as Darling Ingredients, also has a long history.

It was started by Ira C. Darling in 1882 in Chicago, Illinois. First known as Ira C. Darling & Company, it has also been called the Darling-Delaware Company, as well as other names.

The name was changed to Darling International, Inc., in 1993. Then in May of 2014, the name was changed to Darling Ingredients, Inc.

“That is the parent company name,” Blue Earth plant manager Steve Sargent said in an interview with the Faribault County Register in 2020. “There are two other brand names, DarPro Solutions and DarPro Ingredients. DarPro Solutions is the group of the non-food processing plants, while DarPro Ingredients covers the food processing plants.”

The local plant was named as the Blue Earth Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year in 2020.

“Our official name here is DarPro Solutions – Blue Earth Site,” Sargent explained in the Register story in 2020. “But, we know many folks still refer to us as Darling International. And, that is fine.”

Darling Ingredients is global company that started as a small rendering plant 140 years ago.

Now it has 260 facilities in 15-plus countries, has 16,000-plus employees and is a leader in sustainability.

According to their website, first they collect materials from the animal agriculture and food industries, helping these industries be more sustainable by providing an alternative to landfilling and incineration.

Next they separate the materials into fats and proteins, and also extract water – treating and returning more water back to the environment than they use.

In fact, they returned 11 billion gallons of water to the environment last year.

Finally, they create the highest value for the fats and proteins, which go on to nourish people, feed animals and crops, and fuel the world with renewable energy.

Some of that energy fuels jet airplanes, and they also serve 72,000-plus homes with renewable energy.