DENVER — Ardent Mills LLC on Feb. 16 said it will halt operations at its flour mill in Port Allen, La., by mid-April. The company described the closing as part of a “broader business strategy aimed at optimizing operations and enhancing efficiency.”

The facility, owned by the Greater Baton Rouge Port, employs 24. Built in 1974 by Seaboard Allied Milling Corp., the mill came under Cargill’s ownership with the company’s 1982 acquisition of the domestic milling business of Seaboard. It has been part of Ardent Mills LLC since that business was established in 2014.

The Port Allen mill has daily milling capacity of 6,000 cwts and produces hard wheat flour. The mill is located on 10.5 acres of land, also owned by the Greater Baton Rouge Port. Ardent Mills said the facility will continue to be utilized for rail-truck transfers, on an as-needed basis.

“The decision to reduce operations at Port Allen is not a reflection of its performance, but rather a strategic measure to ensure that our resources are allocated in a manner that maximizes our overall business objectives,” Ardent Mills said. “Ultimately, we can continue to serve the impacted market/customers through our existing broad network of community mills.”

Emphasizing the point that the decision does not reflect the mill’s performance, Ardent Mills went on to say the company has been performing strongly and said the closing is “part of a carefully planned strategy to position ourselves, and our customers, for sustained success in the long term.”

At the same time Ardent Mills said the company did not take the decision to close the mill lightly and pledged to support affected team members through severance pay, resources for career transition, outplacement services and assistance in gaining employment within Ardent Mills, where possible.

The largest milling company in the United States, Ardent Mills has total daily milling capacity of 480,510 cwts, according to the 2024 Grain & Milling Annual, published by Sosland Publishing Co. The closing will lower the figure to 474,510. Ardent Mills’ capacity in 2014 when the business was established was 506,500 cwts.