By NANCY VORIS
Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Micronutrients, an Indianapolis-based manufacturer of trace minerals for livestock, has started construction on a new $23 million plant. It will be located next to its existing production facility and headquarters in Indianapolis.

The target completion date for the shell of the plant and its first production line is October. The line will produce Micronutrients’ signature products, IntelliBond C (copper), IntelliBond Z (zinc) and IntelliBond M (manganese). The line will add 34 employees to the plant’s existing 72 employees.

A division of Heritage Technologies, LLC, Micronutrients is one of 28 privately-owned businesses which comprise The Heritage Group of companies, based in Indianapolis and having combined annual revenues of greater than $1 billion. Micronutrients was launched in 1994 with the belief that inorganic minerals could be economically produced in a chemical form that would satisfy the conflicting demands of improved food stability and excellent bioavailability.
Its pioneering work, demonstrating the advantages of basic metal salts as nutritional sources of essential trace metals, resulted in several U.S. and international patents covering the use of such compounds in food, feed and fertilizers.

The company’s first product, IntelliBond C – a high-quality source of copper formerly known as Micronutrients TBCC – has  grown to represent greater than 30 percent of all copper supplied to the North American livestock market. The product is also marketed in Asia, Europe and South America. It has been well received by nutritionists in commercial animal production. “Copper is an important nutrient for animals, and humans, when taken in small doses,” said Guy Johnson, public relations coordinator for the company. “Micronutrients developed the process in which the copper nutrient doesn’t dissolve until it reaches the animal’s stomach and digestive tract, thereby delivering the maximum possible nutrition and food value.”

According to Micronutrients, benefits of using IntelliBond C include reduced handling costs, improved animal growth, high bioavailability, less oxidative destruction of vitamins, superior blending in feed mixtures and reduced environmental impact.

Currently it is being used in feed formulations for most species, including chickens, turkeys, pigs, beef and dairy cattle and horses. Livestock growers and feed manufacturers recognize IntelliBond C’s ability to improve nutrient stability in feeds and increase copper bioavailability in the animal, while reducing environmental impact. Livestock producers will find IntelliBond C in feed listed as “Copper Chloride” on the label.

Micronutrients stated its zinc product has been found more effective than zinc oxide as a growth promoter in baby pigs.

“The addition of zinc and manganese products, IntelliBond Z and IntelliBond M, to the Micronutrients product line will extend our ability to meet customer demands for a full line of trace minerals specially formulated for superior diets,” said Jeff Cohen, Micronutrients vice president of marketing.

Two more production lines will be completed in the next two years, adding 10 more employees.

When all phases are completed, the projects will add 15,000 tons of annual capacity to the Indianapolis location. The company’s goal is to market an entire line of trace mineral salts – iron, manganese, zinc and copper – with similar characteristics. Producers can request Micronutrients from their local feed supplier.