South Dakota Soybean Processors, LLC is the owner and operator of three processing facilities and two oil refineries located in South Dakota. The company's principal place of business is in Volga where it runs a soybean processing plant and refinery and maintains administrative offices. It also owns and operates a small oilseed processing plant near Miller. In addition the company controls and manages High Plains Processing LLC a large oilseed processing plant and refinery situated two miles south of Mitchell. All assets are domiciled in South Dakota and the core business involves converting locally grown soybeans into soybean meal hulls and soybean oil along with related oil byproducts. The facility near Mitchell has a designed capacity to process 35 million bushels of soybeans each year and includes storage for about 4 million bushels of soybeans, 8,000 metric tons of meal and hulls, 12.3 million gallons of crude oil, and 3.52 million gallons of refined oil. The company is owned by approximately 2,240 members many of whom are agricultural producers residing in South Dakota and neighboring states. Members deliver and sell soybeans to the facilities for processing and the resulting products are marketed to various downstream users. All production occurs within South Dakota and the firm emphasizes local sourcing of its raw material.
The company generates revenue primarily from the sale of soybean meal and hulls, which are marketed to resellers, feed mills, and livestock producers as animal feed. It also sells multiple grades of soybean oil in crude or refined form to food, biodiesel, and chemical industries. Under certain market conditions, the company may register and deliver warehouse receipts for crude oil under the terms of Chicago Board of Trade soybean oil futures contracts. Additionally, the firm provides contracting services for the construction and management of oilseed processing facilities. In 2025 the company reported that 57% of its meal and hulls volume was sold locally, 26% of its oil volume was sold locally, 28% of meal and hulls went to other U. S. states, 64% of oil went to other U. S. states, 15% of meal and hulls was exported, and 10% of oil was exported. Over half of the company's product shipments are transported by rail using carriers that can switch cars to other major railroads facilitating delivery throughout the United States and to international export terminals. These activities constitute the main sources of income for South Dakota Soybean Processors LLC.
South Dakota Soybean Processors LLC holds a modest share of the United States soybean processing market representing approximately 2.7% of total national capacity. The company is one of only two soybean processors operating in South Dakota where it competes with Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, Cargill, and Ag Processing (AGP), which together control about 85% of the industry. Despite its smaller size, the firm strives to maintain a competitive position by producing high quality products, operating highly efficient facilities, and pursuing value added initiatives such as contracting services and investments in related ventures. The broader soybean industry is dominated by production in the United States, Brazil, and Argentina with the USDA estimating that U. S. growers produced 4.26 billion bushels in the 2025 crop year. Soybean processing generally yields about 44 pounds of meal, 4 pounds of hulls, and 11 pounds of crude oil per bushel, meaning roughly 80% of the bean becomes meal or hulls and 20% becomes oil. The firm's focus on local sourcing and efficient operations helps it navigate the cyclical nature of crushing and refining margins, which depend on soybean price movements.
The company's customer base includes resellers, feed mills, and livestock producers that purchase soybean meal and hulls for use as animal feed primarily within a 200 mile radius of its facilities, as well as in the western United States and Canada. Soybean oil is sold to food manufacturers, biodiesel producers, chemical companies, and refining firms that further process the crude product. No specific customer names are disclosed in the filing but the description covers the primary types of buyers served by South Dakota Soybean Processors LLC. The firm reports that it does not rely on a single large customer and its sales are diversified across multiple end markets. In addition to direct sales, the company may earn revenue from warehouse receipts tied to Chicago Board of Trade soybean oil futures when market conditions warrant such transactions. Overall the customer base reflects a mix of domestic feed users industrial oil consumers and export oriented buyers.