The LifeLine Group, nestled in the heart of St. Joseph, Missouri, has been a cornerstone of the corn milling industry since its establishment in 2001. The company’s origins trace back to 1996 when forward-thinking farmers across the Midwest formed AgraMarke Quality Grains, Inc., an Identity Preserved production cooperative. In June 2001, this cooperative acquired a 750,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in St. Joseph. In 2006, the LifeLine Group opened an ethanol facility at the existing site allowing full use of all corn products in our facility.
Our Story
OUR STORY
Today, The LifeLine Group is an industry leading food ingredient and sustainable energy producer with a highly respected reputation for quality, consistency and reliability. The facility produces high-quality food products used in everyday snacks such as flours, snack meal and grits as well as pregelatinized flour and masa from its food mills and produces ethanol, distilled grains and corn oil from its ethanol facility. Unique state-of-the-art co-located facilities offer unprecedented operational efficiencies and zero-waste production processes that utilizes 100% of every corn kernel.
Though LifeLine’s facility was built in 1926, it now serves as a modern manufacturing plant, having embraced technological advancements while it continues to honor its rich history. As an SQF-certified facility, we are dedicated to food & feed safety and employee safety
The company has continually invested in expansion in response to growing consumer demand. Notably, in 2019, additional dry milling capacity was added with the opening of our second dry mill on campus and 2020, LifeLine completed a $12 million project to add a second masa mill, enhancing its capacity to manufacture tortilla flour and tortilla chip flour. This masa expansion bolstered production and created 13 new jobs at its St. Joseph headquarters.
At the heart of LifeLine’s success are its people – dedicated farmers, skilled operators, and passionate staff, who blend innovation with tradition and play a crucial role in delivering top-tier corn products to the market. As CEO Kevin Kelly puts it, “People will always be our greatest asset, and we wouldn’t be able to produce the highest quality corn products available without our outstanding farmer-owners and staff.”
In 2026, The LifeLine Group will celebrate its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter-century of growth and innovation in the corn milling industry. With a commitment to continuous improvement and to environmental stewardship, the company is poised to nourish families and support the food, feed, and industrial industry for many more years to come—all while embracing St. Joseph’s heritage and community.