A central Iowa company that’s launching an indoor fish farming operation is spending $100-million to buy 2,000 aquaculture tank systems from a Texas firm.
The land-based recirculating system which use air blowers to create an opposing flow of water will be delivered to the Webster City operation in the former Beam Manufacturing building.
Vero Blue Farms also will have an operation in the former Kenco warehouse in Webster City.
In addition, Vero Blue Farms will be the exclusive global distributor of the Opposing Flow Aquaculture tanks. It will produce 40-million pounds of fish per year once the new tanks are fully installed this year.
The order will help Vero Blue Farms expand its Iowa First barramundi fish operation with 7.2 million pounds of grow-out production. The company is also boosting its fingerling operation to 300 tanks with additional processing and packaging capabilities.
The firm is expected to employ up to 150 people for the new operation in Webster City.
By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City