Kent history

Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) started a legacy of entrepreneurship, innovation, and unsurpassed quality when the company was founded February 11, 1943, by S.G. Stein and G.A. Kent, in Muscatine, Iowa.

In 1952 a modern feed manufacturing plant was built in Muscatine to meet increasing demand.

Gage A. Kent and S.G. Stein form Grain Processing Corporation (GPC), build a grain alcohol manufacturing plant in Muscatine to supply the synthetic rubber program during World War II. After leasing the plant for a decade, GPC purchased the facility from the government in 1953.

In 1955, the first acres were purchased for Kent to open and operate a production development center.

In 1959, the company began a corn wet-milling operation, then expanded operations to produce high-quality, unmodified corn starch.

In 1969, a line of hydrolyzed starch products, MALTRIN® maltodextrin and corn syrup solids, was introduced.

In 1988, Blue Seal Feeds was acquired to expand its reach for animal feed products from the Midwest to the East Coast.

Then in 1990, the third plant expansion in 10 years was announced to meet growing demand.

In 1992, Precision Pack Foods (PPF) was acquired by the corporation.

In 1996, GPC announced plans for a new corn wet milling plant in Washington, Indiana.

In 1997, a Technology Development Center was constructed in Muscatine to develop manufacturing processes for new products, improve existing manufacturing processes, evaluate and recommend new technology, and provide samples for evaluations and trials.

By 1998, GPC had built a second state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Washington, Indiana, to better serve eastern United States markets and the distillery industry.

The Blue Seal manufacturing facility in Bow, New Hampshire is awarded 2004 Feed Mill of the Year! “Safety Is a Way of Life” for the employees running three shifts, six days a week.

In 2006, Blue Seal Feeds expanded their product line to include a focus on growing the dog and cat food line, By Nature® brand, into pet specialty stores beyond the Blue Seal Feeds retail stores and dealer distribution channels.

In 2007, after three generations of joint ownership by the Kent and Stein/Kautz families, the Kautz family sold their ownership to Muscatine Foods Corporation and Chairman Terry Kautz, grandson of S. G. Stein, retired from the company.

In 2008, Blue Seal Feeds acquired I. L. Richer, a major manufacturer and supplier of dairy feed products and services to the central and eastern New York dairy market.

Kent Nutrition Group was formed in 2010, combining the quality traditions of Kent and Blue Seal into one unified division.

In 2012, the company changed its name from Muscatine Foods Corporation to Kent Corporation.

The Blue Seal plant in Hagerstown, Maryland is awarded 2014 Runner-Up Feed Mill of the year.

The KNG manufacturing plant at Rockford, Illinois, is named “2015 Feed Mill of the Year” by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) and Feedstuffs newspaper.

In late 2016, Kent Nutrition Group acquired Deluxe Feeds of Sheldon, Iowa, a full service state-of-the-art feed mill in one of the top commercial animal producing regions in the Midwest.

Following that in 2020, GPC significantly increased its energy-efficient production of high-quality alcohol, bringing online the world’s largest distillery.