ADM Scouting Locations For New Global Headquarters

DECATUR, Ill.Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) announced today that it is scouting locations to establish a new global headquarters and customer center to better access to its global customers. The company currently is considering locations and having discussions with various public officials and advisers, but it will not discuss those details publicly.

ADMs Decatur office will be designated the North American headquarters. ADM also maintains regional headquarters in Rolle, Switzerland; São Paulo, Brazil; and Shanghai, China.

Our company is growing and becoming more global and more customer-centric," said Patricia Woertz, ADM chairman and chief executive officer. To continue to succeed, we need a global center in a location that allows us to travel and work efficiently with customers and employees throughout the world. We also need an environment where we can attract and retain employees with diverse skills, and where family members can find ample career opportunities."

The company expects to locate a small, corporate team at the global center, with approximately 100 jobs relocated to the center. ADM also plans to create a new IT tech center at the same location, adding approximately 100 new positions there over the next few years. No layoffs are planned in connection with the move to a new global center.

As we look to establish the new global center, we remain firmly committed to the 4,400 colleagues who will continue to work in Decatur, and to the economic strength and viability of the Decatur community," Woertz said.

Woertz said to ensure that Decatur remains a strong and vibrant community for years to come, ADM is announcing several multi-year financial commitments.

We are investing in Decaturs economic development to help ensure it flourishes economically, in its schools to foster a strong workforce pipeline, and in critical social services to enhance the quality of community life," she said.

Among the specific commitments the company is making is $250,000 a year for three years to fund an enhanced public-private partnership and unified marketing campaign for the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County, including the funding of a mayoral economic development fellow; and $500,000 a year for five years to Decatur Public School District 61. In addition, the company will maintain its other Decatur and Macon County community support at $1 million a year for at least 10 years.

This is an exciting time for our company. We are preparing for a large North American harvest and the completion of our acquisition of GrainCorp," Woertz said. We look ahead to a strong 2014, as we position our company for continued success."