ADM to move long-time headquarters

Agribusiness giant Archer Daniel Midland Company said Monday that after spending 44 years in the small Illinois city of Decatur, it is looking for a new location for its global headquarters with better access to its customers around the world.

ADM said it is already considering locations and having discussions with unidentified officials and advisers, and that it doesn't plan to publicly discuss where it could be headed.

But the company said it doesn't plan any layoffs and would keep a workforce of 4,400 in Decatur, which also will become ADM's North American headquarters. The company has extensive operations in the small central Illinois city, which is about 180 miles southwest of Chicago, and is its largest employer.

"Our company is growing and becoming more global and more customer-centric," CEO Patricia Woertz said. "To continue to succeed, we need a global centre 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 new headquarters would have about 100 employees, ADM said in the new release.

ADM has about 30,000 employees around the world. The company, which is No. 27 on the Fortune 500, processes corn, soybeans and a range of other crops to make everything from animal feed to ethanol and food additives.

ADM is parent company to Jamaica Flour Mills Limited. It acquired the Jamaican operation in 1997.