Hemp Processor Announces Expansion
(Industrial hemp photo courtesy of Purdue University)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndianapolis-based BDX Indiana has announced plans to bring more than 100 new jobs to central Indiana, with about a third of those going to a planned hemp extraction facility in Westfield. BDX extracts CBD oil from Indiana-grown hemp and is a sister company of Biodynamic Ventures, the largest hemp grower in Indiana.
“With our experienced partners, we plan to meet the growing demand of hemp products while creating jobs for the City of Westfield and State of Indiana,” said Ken Thieneman, president, BDX-Indiana.
The company produces what’s called full spectrum dissolute products from hemp grown in Indiana by Hoosier farmers. Thieneman says the CBD extract will be sold both regionally and nationally.
“We have all seen the growth and innovation of the CBD oil industry and now Westfield will play a major role in its future,” said Westfield Mayor Andy Cook.
The city says the phase one build-out of the overall $50 million project is expected to begin this month with production to start in December. Phase Two is set to being in March.
Last month, the Westfield City Council approved a tax abatement for its phase one.
“BDX-Indiana brings a lot of opportunity to our city. We can support the agriculture production and the extraction innovation,” said Cook.
Thieneman says the company grew a million clones, seedlings, locally in 2019. Those plants were sold to the 26 contracted farmers who planted and are currently harvesting the 350 acres of hemp crop.
“When we interviewed and selected our farmers, we only let them plant 10, 20 or 40 acre plots the first year, because there’s a there’s a massive learning curve from that point,” says Thieneman. “Now, we have already signed up over 3,500 acres for next year.”
Workers are drying the hemp plants by hanging them at a 63,000-square-foot facility on the southside of Indianapolis. Then the plants will ground and placed in cold storage. After that, said Thieneman, is when the extraction process begins.
While hemp production is still in its infancy stage in the Hoosier state, Thieneman says Biodynamics/BDX-Indiana plan to become the largest CBD oil extractor in the nation.
Thieneman tells Inside INdiana Business that hemp production could be a gamechanger for Indiana.