It’s full steam ahead for Tru Shrimp Co.’s shrimp farm in Luverne, Minn. If the venture is successful, many more shrimp-raising farms are expected to be built in the region, including in South Dakota.

Tru Shrimp is an affiliate of Ralco, which is headquartered in Marshall, Minn. It has patented technology and systems to raise shrimp indoors in the Midwest.

Tru Shrimp’s board of directors recently approved the continued development of the Luverne Bay Harbor Complex — its name for an indoor shrimp production facility in Luverne. It directed management to finalize all engineering and construction plans for the site, and execute a plan to finance construction and startup of the 67-acre Harbor Complex.

The company’s goal is to have financing arranged by June with plans to break ground shortly thereafter.  Construction of the entire Harbor Complex will take about two years, with half of the harbor in production as the second half is being constructed.

“This is a watershed moment for Tru Shrimp,” says Michael Ziebell, president and CEO. “This year, Balaton Bay Reef was built, and shrimp are now stocked and growing in the pristine habitat of our indoor tidal basins.

“Balaton Cove Hatchery has also come on line. The first broodstock shrimp have arrived from our genetics partner, Oceanic Institute. And they are mating, spawning, and offspring are growing in our created seawater.  The partnership with Oceanic Institute and the development of our hatchery mark the final steps of a truly integrated shrimp company,” Ziebell says.

Tru Shrimp is nearly four years in the making.  “A methodical and thorough undertaking of developing the technology to grow shrimp in the Upper Midwest indoors, and in a fashion of great care, has always been the top priority at Tru Shrimp.  This will remain paramount as the company expands into Luverne,” he says.

"This is a big moment for Tru Shrimp, and a decision the board didn't take lightly," says Brian Knochenmus, board chairman. “Three years of research accompanied by painstaking engineering, construction development, and creation of a thorough business plan all enabled the board to agree to proceed with Luverne Bay Harbor and take the next steps toward commercialization.

“The investments made in Balaton’s Innovation Center, Balaton Cove Hatchery and our magnificent Balaton Bay Reef are leading the way to Luverne Bay Harbor and many more harbors in the future — a very exciting future.”

Source: Tru Shrimp Co.