ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Ostara St. Louis, Ltd. announced today it will invest $25 million in St. Louis to construct a new fertilizer production facility, creating 40 new jobs. The facility will be Ostara’s largest facility in the U.S. and use sustainable technology to produce Crystal Green® fertilizer.
“We’re excited to welcome another agtech company to Missouri, where agriculture remains our number one economic driver,” Governor Mike Parson said. “Ostara’s investment in St. Louis will create more career opportunities for Missourians, build on its mission to help farmers improve crop yields across North America, and protect water and soil quality around the globe.”
Ostara is headquartered in Canada and develops technologies that recover phosphorus and nitrogen from water treatment streams and convert them into eco-friendly fertilizer. During site selection, Ostara chose St. Louis for its renowned agtech industry, world-class educational institutions, and central location.
“St. Louis was a natural choice for Ostara to construct its newest and largest manufacturing facility that will produce our environmentally friendly Crystal Green® fertilizer,” said Dan Parmar, Chief Executive Officer at Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies. “As we gear up production over the next year, we’re partnering with the St. Louis community and Missouri businesses to continue our mission to produce a sustainable phosphorus soil health solution that will enhance crop yields while protecting water sources across the globe.”
Ostara currently operates a facility in Florida, but desired an additional presence in the central part of the country. The company will work with local colleges and universities, businesses, and banks to plant roots in St. Louis and create connections needed to build additional facilities in the future. Ostara has begun recruiting for its first St. Louis location and also chose to repurpose an existing facility as part of its mission to protect natural resources.
“Ostara’s products and vision dovetail with St. Louis’ strengths,” said Steve Johnson, president, AllianceSTL, the business attraction initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “Agriculture, plant sciences and manufacturing have long served as foundational elements of our regional economy. Our agtech agglomeration will provide a unique level of support for Ostara, and the company, in turn, will contribute to its growth — and the growth of our region — while increasing quality jobs in Downtown St. Louis.”
"St. Louis is open for business," said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. "St. Louis welcomes Ostara as the latest addition to our growing agtech and innovation communities and the good-paying jobs the company will bring to our region."
For this expansion, Ostara used the Missouri Works program, an incentive tool to help companies expand and retain workers by providing access to capital through withholdings or tax credits for job creation. The company is also receiving assistance from Missouri One Start, a division of the Department of Economic Development. Missouri One Start assists eligible businesses of all sizes with their recruitment and training needs.
Learn more about Missouri Works and Missouri One Start.
About Ostara: Ostara’s Crystal Green® and Crystal Green® Pearl fertilizers are the first to release nutrients in response to plant demand to increase yield, enhance soil health and significantly reduce phosphorus tie-up and runoff. This improves food security while protecting local waterways from nutrient pollution. The company’s Pearl® water treatment technology recovers phosphorus and nitrogen from industrial, agricultural, and municipal water streams, and transforms these nutrients into sustainable fertilizer. To learn more about Ostara, visit ostara.com.