Qore, a joint venture between Minneapolis, MN-based Cargill, Inc. and German-based HELM is turning dextrose from corn into QIRA®, a renewably derived alternative to fossil-based 1,4-butanediol (BDO), at a $300-million plant co-located at Cargill’s giant corn processing complex in Eddyville, IA. The corn is being procured within a 100-mile radius of the plant.
The joint venture touts QIRA as an easy-to-implement, bio-based product made from renewable feedstocks that reduces carbon dioxide emissions compared to fossil-fuel materials. The companies announced the start of production at the plant – “the world’s largest facility of its kind” – saying it marks a major step forward in meeting global demand for more sustainable materials in everyday consumer products.
QIRA is designed to deliver functionality without compromise through more sustainable solutions that are better for people and the planet and facilitates the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to build a strong circular economy, according to the companies.
Additionally, the companies claim QIRA can be easily integrated without changing manufacturing processes or large capital expenditures and delivers the functionality to maintain product quality. It can help reduce the carbon footprint of the apparel industry, which produces 10% of all carbon emissions and is projected to comprise 28% by 2050.
Plant Capabilities
The plant has an annual production capacity of 66,000 metric tons, producing QIRA as an alternative to fossil-based products in the manufacturing of consumer goods, such as spandex fibers, in collaboration with brands like LYCRA®, helping to reduce the environmental footprint of textiles and apparel while providing transparency of feedstock.
According to Mark Concannon, who has been interim CEO of Qore since Oct. 6, 2025, it can be used across many industries, including footwear, automotive parts, electronics, cosmetics, haircare formulations, packaging, and new bio-based material applications.
Concannon is a senior leader who most recently led efforts within the company’s bio-innovations and home and packaging businesses that marry biotechnology and renewable resources. He also served in senior roles at DSM Biobased Products, Corbion Biochemicals, and Cytec (Solvay). He tells Processing Journal that Eddyville was chosen as the site for the venture due to its strategic location and strong infrastructure.
The Eddyville Site Offers
- Proximity to an abundant corn supply in Iowa, the No. 1 corn-producing state in the United States.
- Co-location with Cargill’s existing capabilities for grinding corn and producing dextrose, the key inputs for QIRA, enabling efficient supply chain integration.
- Access to Cargill’s extensive biotech and fermentation expertise.
The dextrose derived from dent corn at Cargill’s corn processing complex in Eddyville is purchased by the joint venture to manufacture the BDO, Concannon explains. Cargill contributes its extensive experience in large-scale fermentation and biomanufacturing operations to the joint venture.
HELM leads the joint venture’s outreach for the commercial, sales, and marketing aspects of the project, leveraging its global market network and chemical distribution expertise to serve global markets, with a focus on apparel, footwear, automotive, electronics packaging, and personal care, he notes.
More About Qore
Qore was launched as a joint venture in 2020 between Cargill and German chemical marketing company HELM to help leading brands replace fossil-based chemistries with bio-based intermediates.
Construction of the plant began in June 2021 and was completed in May 2025. Production at the Eddyville plant began in May 2025, and a grand opening celebration was held July 22, 2025 with industry partners and stakeholders. The Eddyville facility currently employs approximately 45 people.
Cargill has invested more than $2 billion in its Eddyville processing campus, which it established in 1985. In addition to its joint venture with Qore, the Eddyville site is home to Cargill’s partnerships with major companies such as Ajinomoto and Wacker.
Cargill describes its Eddyville, IA, facility as “a leading-edge biotechnology and bioprocessing campus that spans 1,500 acres and employs more than 500 people, along with 250 contractors.”
The Eddyville campus houses plants that process corn into dextrose, ethanol, feed ingredients, citric acid, and soybean-based products.
Cargill says the facility is recognized for safety excellence, environmental innovation – including ISO 50001 certification – and community involvement, contributing over $300,000 and 9,000 volunteer hours annually to local causes.