LOUDONVILLE, Ohio — A flour mill in central Ohio operating at the same site for just over 200 years is closing at the end of June.
Denver-based company Ardent Mills announced on Friday the closing of its Loudonville, Ohio, mill, along with mills in Macon, Georgia; Red Lion, Pennsylvania; and Rush City, Minnesota.
The flour-milling and ingredient company said they will operate and invest in the remaining 35 flour mills across the U.S, Canada and Puerto Rico.
The Loudonville mill, roughly halfway between Cleveland and Columbus, was established in 1818 by Alex Skinner, with two stone burrs to grind wheat into flour.
It was purchased in 1861 by August Taylor. One of Taylor’s millers developed flour similar to the white general purpose flour sold today, winning a blue ribbon at the 1876 Philadelphia World’s Fair.
“These decisions are difficult, especially because of the impact on our valued team members. However, this is a critical step to put greater focus and investment on the rest of our plants,” Dan Dye, CEO of Ardent Mills said. “Our growth plan calls for strategic investments in our unmatched network of community mills; these changes allow us to grow accordingly and better meet customer needs.”
Ardent says it will offer workers jobs at other mills or provide career support.
