Kemin Industries
Americas
Des Moines
,
United States
Established
FOUNDED
1961
HEADCOUNT
1001-5000
FUNDING
Privately held
Keywords:
fermentation, enzymes, probiotics, bacteria, vaccines, nutrition, nutraceuticals, aquaculture, biofuels, crop_protection, CRO, CDMO, animal_nutrition
BUSINESS
Kemin Industries, founded in 1961 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, is a privately held, family-owned ingredient manufacturer producing over 500 specialty ingredients across animal nutrition and health, pet food, aquaculture, human nutrition (nutraceuticals), food technologies, crop technologies, textiles, biofuels, and animal vaccines. Revenue is approximately $1.4B with around 4,000 employees globally and manufacturing in Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Italy, San Marino, Singapore, South Africa, and the United States. In September 2025, Kemin acquired CJ Youtell Biotech (the enzymes and fermentation subsidiary of CJ Bio), gaining full ownership of fermentation plants in Shandong and Hunan, China, shifting the company from enzyme formulator to integrated fermentation producer.
BIOTECH INVOLVEMENT
Operates a microbial fermentation platform producing probiotics, enzymes, and antimicrobials, with proprietary fermentation and stabilization technologies developed since the 1980s for the KEMZYME feed enzyme line. The 2025 CJ Youtell acquisition added enzyme fermentation capacity and bioengineering R&D in China; Kemin Biologics provides veterinary contract research and vaccine manufacturing.
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
fermentation; microbial production
PRIMARY PRODUCTS
Feed additives; natural antioxidants; specialty nutrients; food safety ingredients