Montana Specialty Mills

What Montana Specialty Mills does

Montana Specialty Mills, LLC (MSM) is a specialty oilseed processor headquartered in Great Falls, Montana, founded in 1997 and operated as a joint venture between Columbia Grain International (Portland, Oregon) and Nisshin OilliO America. The company crushes and refines three core product lines—Organic Canola Oil and Meal, Non-GMO Canola Oil and Meal, and Flaxseed/Linseed Oil and Meal—at a state-of-the-art Great Falls facility on the Missouri River and a second site in Conrad, Montana, with rail, bulk truck, and tote logistics capability. Its differentiator is identity-preserved processing that maintains crop segregation from seed through finished product, enabling third-party certifications (QAI organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Vaad HaKashrus kosher, SQF) that buyers in food, feed, and industrial channels require. Crops are sourced directly from regional growers in the Northwest US and Canada under long-term partnership programs.

MSM operates a B2B, sales-led go-to-market model in which dedicated merchants buy oilseed crops from contracted growers and sell finished oil, meal, and byproducts to bakeries, food service suppliers, repackers, food manufacturers, industrial manufacturers (coatings, dust suppressants, lubricants, cosmetics), and feed/fertilizer customers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company also offers toll processing services on its crush and refinery assets for customers needing specialized oilseed processing without owning equipment. Revenue derives from two streams: oilseed product sales (transaction fee per unit shipped) and toll processing fees, with merchant relationships replacing traditional marketing or demand-gen infrastructure.

The firm employs 11–50 people, holds no publicly disclosed revenue, and is privately held under the joint venture. Its competitive position rests on the distribution reach of its two global parents, its specialty-organic/non-GMO certification portfolio, and identity-preserved processing infrastructure; no AI/ML capabilities, acquisitions, outside funding rounds, or leadership changes are present in the available data.

Name

Montana Specialty Mills

Legal name

Montana Specialty Mills, LLC

Website

https://mtspecialtymills.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Montana Specialty Mills is a Montana-based specialty oilseed processor that crushes and refines organic and non-GMO canola and flaxseed products, selling to food, feed, and industrial manufacturers across North America as a joint venture of Columbia Grain International and Nisshin OilliO America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Oilseed Processing

NAICS

Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Grain and Oilseed Milling (3112)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Grain Mill Products (2040)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Frying Oils & Foodservice Oil Blends Manufacturing (AFAKAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Edible Oil Packaging, Bottling & Private Label Manufacturing (AFAKAEAJ), Grain & Oilseed Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAA)

Keywords

• Oilseed processing
• Canola oil production
• Organic oilseed milling
• Non-GMO oilseeds
• Flaxseed processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Oilseed Product Sales: Primary revenue from processing and selling oilseed products including Organic Canola Oil and Meal, Non-GMO Canola Oil and Meal, and Flaxseed/Linseed Oil and Meal to food manufacturers, bakeries, food service suppliers, repackers, and industrial manufacturers.
2. Toll Processing Services: Fee-based custom processing services for customers requiring specialized oilseed processing without their own equipment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Montana Specialty Mills processes and markets high-quality specialty oilseeds and oilseed-derived products, including organic canola oil and meal, non-GMO canola oil and meal, and flaxseed/linseed oil and meal. Crops are sourced directly from regional growers in the Northwest US and Canada and processed at facilities in Great Falls and Conrad, Montana using identity-preserved processing to maintain organic and non-GMO certification integrity. The company also offers toll processing services for customers requiring custom oilseed processing without owning their own equipment.

Product overview

Montana Specialty Mills operates as an oilseed processor offering three primary product lines: Organic Canola Oil and Meal, Non-GMO Canola Oil and Meal, and Flaxseed/Linseed Oil and Meal. The company processes agricultural commodities sourced directly from regional growers in the US and Canada, serving as functional ingredients for food, feed, and industrial applications. Their facilities in Great Falls and Conrad, Montana provide identity-preserved processing capabilities, allowing products to maintain their organic or non-GMO certifications throughout production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Canola Oil and Meal Certified organic canola oil and canola meal produced from crops grown without prohibited synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and processed with identity preservation to maintain organic certification compliance. Sold to food manufacturers, bakeries, and food service suppliers as functional food ingredients.
• Non-GMO Canola Oil and Meal Canola oil and meal produced from seed varieties that have not undergone genetic modification, developed through traditional plant breeding and verified by the Non-GMO Project. Sold to food manufacturers, bakeries, food service suppliers, and repackers as functional ingredients.
• Flaxseed/Linseed Oil and Meal Processed flaxseed (linseed) products including whole ground flaxseed high in omega-3 fatty acids, defatted flax flour, linseed oil for industrial coatings and lubricants, and linseed meal for animal feed. Sold to food manufacturers, feed producers, and industrial manufacturers.
• Toll Processing Services Custom oilseed processing services for customers requiring specialized processing of oilseeds without investing in their own crushing and refining equipment, leveraging the company's state-of-the-art Great Falls crush plant and refinery.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Columbia Grain InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner - a leading worldwide grain and pulse supplier based in Portland, Oregon. Columbia Grain International provides global grain and pulse supply chain expertise and market access, forming one half of the Montana Specialty Mills joint venture structure.
• Nisshin OilliO AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner - a member of a leading manufacturing company group in the field of edible oils worldwide. Nisshin OilliO brings global expertise in edible oils processing and manufacturing, forming the second half of the Montana Specialty Mills joint venture structure.
• Great Falls Development Alliance (GFDA)minorOthersMontana Specialty Mills operates at the AgriTech Park developed and managed by GFDA in Great Falls, MT. GFDA has invested in developing park utilities and infrastructure to attract businesses including Montana Specialty Mills.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: One of the world's largest privately held agribusinesses with extensive oilseed crushing, refining, and specialty ingredient capabilities. Directly comparable as a canola/flaxseed processor and competing for the same food manufacturer, food service, and industrial customers, though Cargill operates a far broader portfolio.
• ADM (Archer Daniels Midland): Global oilseed processor and ingredient supplier with canola crushing, refining, and specialty oil capabilities serving food, feed, and industrial customers. Directly comparable core activity with substantially larger scale and broader product breadth.
• Bunge Limited: Major global oilseed processor with Viterra integration; crushes canola and other oilseeds into oils and meals for food, feed, and biofuel markets. Directly comparable oilseed processing activities with much larger geographic footprint.
• CHS Inc. US farmer-owned cooperative with oilseed crushing, refining, and specialty crop processing across multiple states. Comparable core oilseed processing activity with broader cooperative ownership and significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Richardson International: Canadian-based privately held agribusiness with oilseed crushing (notably canola) and specialty processing operations across Western Canada and the US. Closely comparable as a North American canola/oilseed processor serving similar end markets.
• Scoular Company: Privately held US agribusiness with specialty crop processing, including flaxseed and other oilseeds, serving food, feed, and industrial ingredient markets. Closely comparable specialty oilseed processing focus and customer mix.
• Columbia Grain International: Joint venture parent of Montana Specialty Mills and a major US grain and pulse merchandiser handling oilseed crops in the same Northwest supply basin. Directly comparable in oilseed origination and downstream ingredient supply, with overlapping grower relationships.
• Viterra: Global grain and oilseed merchandiser/processor with canola crushing operations in Canada and Australia, now part of Bunge. Directly comparable oilseed processing and North American ingredient supply activity.

Emerging players

• SunOpta: Public company focused on organic and non-GMO plant-based ingredients, including specialty oils and flax products for food and beverage customers. Comparable specialty/organic positioning with overlapping food manufacturer customer base but broader ingredient portfolio.
• Heartland Flax: Smaller specialty flaxseed processor producing milled flax ingredients, flax oil, and related products for food, nutraceutical, and industrial customers. Comparable in flaxseed processing focus and ingredient supply, though more limited scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mtspecialtymill
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-specialty-mills-llc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Montana Specialty Mills