Kemin History

Kemin Industries began with a bold vision and a Maytag® washer. In 1961, R.W. Nelson mixed his first animal feed ingredients, while Mary Nelson managed operations from their home. Their shared passion for innovation and service laid the foundation for a company that now spans six continents, employs thousands, and produces over 500 specialty ingredients.

Our Founders

R.W. and Mary Nelson were a curious young couple who had just welcomed their fifth child when R.W. tapped into his entrepreneurial spirit to launch a new company focused on bringing innovative solutions to the agricultural industry. As R.W. began mixing ingredients for animal feed in a Maytag® washer, Mary set up shop in the family home, where she tended the administrative side of the operation.  

Although the timing of this endeavor may seem overwhelming to most, it fulfilled R.W. and Mary’s shared passion for serving others. Both were compelled to make a difference and transform the quality of life for people around the world. Now, more than six decades later, the Nelsons have impacted billions of people globally by producing more than 500 specialty ingredients that span six continents and employing thousands of team members serving more than 120 countries.

• Dr. Chris Nelson, President and CEO since 1994, has quadrupled the company’s size and expanded into new industries.
• Elizabeth “Libby” Nelson, Chief Legal Officer, oversees global regulatory and legal affairs.
• David Nelson, Board of Advisors member, contributes from his real estate background.
• Third-generation leaders like Kimberly Nelson, Lucas Nelson, and Dan Ryan are advancing Kemin’s reach in pet food, cannabis, and food safety.

Innovation Through the Decades

From humble beginnings in 1961 to a global presence today, Kemin’s story is filled with innovation, growth, and impact. Want to explore the milestones that shaped our company? Click through the interactive timeline below to see key moments in Kemin’s history and how curiosity has driven us forward.

History of Innovation

Kemin’s first products answered customers’ requests for specific ingredients. Since then, our scientific breakthroughs have been Compelled by Curiosity^TM to address needs in human and animal health, food safety, and protection of the global food supply chain. As the reach of Kemin ingredients has expanded into nutraceuticals, pet food, food technologies, crop technologies, textiles, aquaculture, animal vaccines and bio-solutions, so has our commitment to transforming the quality of life.

During the 1980s, the company took on a more structured approach to research and development. Led by Christopher E. Nelson, Ph.D., President and CEO, Kemin scientists were challenged to become more curious and study molecules and understand their modes of action inside living organisms.

This new approach spurred the company’s expansion into new markets. Leveraging the chemistry used to manufacture mold inhibitors and antimicrobials for animal feed, scientists discovered shelf-life and freshness benefits for human food. This also led to expertise in antioxidants to transcended markets to become a key solution for the pet food industry.

Creation of Diverse Business Units

In 1995, Kemin innovated lutein, a carotenoid molecule from marigolds that the company had been selling into the animal feed industry for years, to improve human health. With the new, distinct innovations for other industries and products, it led to the establishment of Kemin’s first business unit, Human Nutrition and Health.

Kemin adopted the division-focused model for further expansion into pet food and rendering technologies, food technologies, and crop technologies.

In 2017, Kemin invested more than USD $30 million in its new worldwide headquarters building in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A., located near the wool barn in which the company manufactured its first products in 1961. Then in 2021, Kemin broke ground on a USD $4.5 million expansion of its headquarters campus and added solar panels to power its headquarters office.  

As a global company dedicated to its roots in the Des Moines community, Kemin employs more than 600 Des Moines-based team members. The family-owned-and-operated company is actively involved in organizations that support science and education, affordable housing and food security, sustainability, and the creation of vibrant communities.