EnviroFlight, a wholly-owned division of Darling Ingredients, will open a new R&D and corporate center in Apex, North Carolina. This area of North Carolina has a strong focus on agriculture technology and agriculture research and is an ideal location to meet the needs of a growing regenerative agriculture business conducting highly technical research on black soldier flies and their larvae, the company said. Groundbreaking on the new facility starts April 2021, and EnviroFlight expects to be in the facility in early 2022.

This new R&D facility will allow for further emphasis to be placed on target research areas, including expanding the knowledge base for alternative uses of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) in animal health, animal nutrition, cosmetics, and other product development. EnviroFlight is currently the only company to produce BSFL on a commercial scale in the United States and has its first manufacturing plant located in Maysville, Kentucky. This innovative and responsible approach has considerable potential within the sizable global animal feed industry as it will provide an environmentally friendly, sustainable source of high-value nutrients.

Liz Koutsos, president of EnviroFlight, said that “research and development is a core focus area for EnviroFlight, with our research team and dedicated engineers focused on all aspects of insect biology and production including genetics, immunology, animal nutrition and innovative engineering solutions. As part of our growth plan, we are excited to invest in a new R&D and corporate center in Apex and join the robust Triangle Region AgTech community. This new facility will allow us to continue to develop technology that leverages the potential of this amazing insect and facilitate our growth in the alternative protein industry.”