What Clarkson Grain Company does

Clarkson Grain Company, founded in 1974 in Cerro Gordo, Illinois by Lynn Clarkson and still family-and-employee owned, is a US-based grain supplier specializing in identity-preserved Non-GMO and Certified Organic corn and soybeans. The company contracts directly with Midwestern US farmers to grow specialty corn hybrids (White, Yellow, Indigo Blue, and Waxy Dent) and proprietary soybean varieties developed through natural breeding programs with major universities and private partners. It operates four facilities in Illinois for storage, cleaning, and processing, plus an owned barge loading facility on the Illinois River in Beardstown that enables bulk waterway transport alongside truck, rail, and intermodal container shipping.

The business model is B2B bulk grain trading with quote-based, contract-driven pricing tied to futures markets plus premiums for identity preservation, organic certification, and specialty characteristics. Clarkson sells to food manufacturers (snack, tortilla, cereal, soy-based food processors), millers (grits, meals, flours for branded and private-label programs), and feed producers (organic and Non-GMO inputs). Products and facilities are certified under USDA NOP, Non-GMO Project Verified, QAI organic, KSA Kosher, and annual AIB inspection. Clarkson also operates a separate Clarkson Specialty Lecithins sub-brand, sold through its own website, that extends the soy value chain into fluid and dry-blend organic and Non-GMO lecithin ingredients.

Go-to-market combines an enterprise direct sales force with a contract grower program offering acre and bushel contracts, FOB farm or delivered pricing, storage premiums, and Act of God clauses to lock in farmer supply; the company supports recruitment through a public-facing website that publishes daily corn and soybean bids, a MyGrower portal, and grower resources. Distribution reaches food manufacturers, millers, and feed producers across North America, Asia, and Europe. No revenue, headcount trends, funding history, acquisitions, or recent leadership changes are publicly disclosed beyond founder continuity.

Name

Clarkson Grain Company

Legal name

Clarkson Grain Company

Website

https://clarksongrain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Clarkson Grain Company supplies identity-preserved Non-GMO and organic specialty corn (White, Yellow, Indigo Blue, Waxy Dent) and soybeans to food manufacturers, millers, and feed producers via contracted Midwestern US farmers, four Illinois facilities, and multi-modal logistics reaching North America, Asia, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Grains and Identity-Preserved Agricultural Ingredients

NAICS

Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers (42451), Grain and Field Bean Merchant Wholesalers (424510)

SIC

Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural & Organic Foods Distribution (CRAOABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Commercial Grain Warehouses (USDA/State-Licensed) (AFAOACAA)

Keywords

• Specialty grain products
• Organic corn supply
• Non-GMO soybeans
• Identity-preserved grains
• Food-grade cereals

Headquarters

HQ city

Cerro Gordo

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, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grain Sales (Non-GMO and Organic Corn and Soybeans): Primary revenue from contracting with farmers to grow and sell identity-preserved Non-GMO and Certified Organic corn and soybeans. Products include specialty corn varieties (white, yellow, Indigo Blue, waxy dent) and specialty soybeans. Revenue is generated through bulk commodity sales to food manufacturers, millers, and feed producers with pricing based on futures markets plus premiums.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Clarkson Grain Company is a US-based supplier of identity-preserved Non-GMO and Certified Organic specialty corn and soybean varieties (White, Yellow, Indigo Blue, Waxy Dent corn and specialty soybeans) sold to food manufacturers, millers, and feed producers. The company contracts with Midwestern farmers for production, operates four Illinois facilities for cleaning, storage, processing and transportation, and exports globally via truck, rail, intermodal containers and barge. A complementary sub-brand, Clarkson Specialty Lecithins, extends the portfolio to fluid and dry blend organic and non-GMO lecithins.

Product overview

Clarkson Grain Company operates as a specialized grain trading and supply company offering a focused portfolio of Identity-Preserved, Non-GMO and Organic whole grains centered on specialty corn and soybean varieties. The core offering is Whole Grains, divided into Specialty Corn (White, Yellow, Indigo Blue, and Waxy Dent varieties) and Specialty Soy (soybean varieties optimized for food processing). A complementary sub-brand, Clarkson Specialty Lecithins, extends the portfolio to soy-derived ingredients. The company also provides Packaging & Transportation services for bulk and bagged shipments. All products emphasize traceability from Midwestern US farms to end users, with various certifications including USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher, and AIB inspection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Clarkson Specialty Lecithins: A separate brand for specialty lecithin products including fluid and dry blend organic and non-GMO lecithins.

Products and services

• Specialty Corn (portfolio) A portfolio of identity-preserved Non-GMO and Certified Organic specialty corn varieties (White, Yellow, Indigo Blue, and Waxy Dent) for food processors, millers, and snack producers.
• White Corn Non-GMO and Organic white corn varieties selected for optimal process yield, with fast water absorption, lower energy cooling, gelling at lower temperatures, higher protein levels, and a sweet taste profile for food applications.
• Yellow Corn Yellow corn hybrids selected for unique color, taste, endosperm hardness, and water absorption characteristics, supplied from single varieties traceable to source farms for food and feed applications.
• Indigo Blue Corn Exclusive Non-GMO Indigo Blue corn with genetically consistent deep blue color stable in processing, high antioxidants, up to 25% higher protein than other corns, and mild nutty flavor, for chips, tortillas, cereals, and snacks. Available in Organic and Certified Transitional protocols, QAI certified organic, KSA Kosher certified, and AIB-inspected.
• Waxy Dent Corn Waxy dent corn hybrids delivering nearly 100% amylopectin starch for thickening and stabilizing in pies, soups, baby food, processed foods, and industrial applications such as paper adhesives. Offered in one white and two yellow waxy hybrids.
• Soybeans Non-GMO soybeans with clear hilum varieties, flavor-neutral beans for soy flour processing, and roasting varieties bred for nutlike crunchiness, light golden color, and pleasing flavor. Available as Certified Organic and Certified Transitional.
• Clarkson Specialty Lecithins Specialty lecithin products marketed under a separate sub-brand, including fluid and dry blend organic and non-GMO lecithin options in various packaging sizes, targeted at food ingredient buyers.
• Packaging and Transportation Services Packaging options including 50 lb bags, 30 kg bags, and bulk totes up to 1 metric ton, combined with multimodal transportation via intermodal containers, rail, truck, and barge from the company's Illinois River barge facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Indigo Blue corn delivers up to 25% higher protein than other corns
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Major UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClarkson Grain works with major universities and private companies to develop soy genetics through natural breeding programs. This collaboration enables the development of proprietary soybean varieties with unique characteristics for food processing applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bay State Milling Company: Bay State Milling is a specialty flour and grain milling company supplying organic, non-GMO, and identity-preserved grain ingredients to food manufacturers — directly overlapping with Clarkson's customer base and specialty grain value proposition.
• Grain Millers: Grain Millers is a U.S.-based specialty grain processor offering organic and non-GMO oats, grains, and related ingredients — closely comparable to Clarkson's specialty grain trading and processing model with similar farmer-direct sourcing.
• SunOpta: SunOpta is a global supplier of organic and non-GMO food and beverage ingredients including specialty grains, plant-based proteins, and fruit — directly comparable to Clarkson in serving food manufacturers with identity-preserved, certified organic and Non-GMO inputs.

Emerging players

• PURIS Foods: PURIS is a U.S. non-GMO soy protein ingredient company sourcing U.S.-grown non-GMO soybeans for plant-based food applications — overlapping with Clarkson's specialty soybean supply and food manufacturer customer base.

Others

• Hain Celestial Group: Hain Celestial is an organic and natural foods branded product company that purchases specialty organic and Non-GMO grains and ingredients from suppliers like Clarkson — relevant as a downstream customer and adjacent organic food industry player.

Broad incumbents

• Ardent Mills: Ardent Mills is one of the largest U.S. flour millers offering specialty and organic grain programs — overlapping with Clarkson's food manufacturer customers and specialty grain category, though at significantly larger scale.
• Bob's Red Mill: Bob's Red Mill is a large U.S. specialty grain and milling brand offering whole grain, organic, and gluten-free products — comparable as an end-customer and adjacent specialty grain player, though more consumer-facing than Clarkson's B2B trader model.
• Cargill (Specialty / Organic): Cargill's specialty grain and oilseed programs (including organic) compete with Clarkson for food manufacturer accounts and global export contracts — a much larger incumbent with the ability to subsidize specialty offerings from its commodity grain operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Clarksongrain

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Clarkson Grain Company