A New Facility, a Proven Partner, and Whole-Almond Extraction Trials in Wisconsin. Big things are happening at RE-NUT®, and we're thrilled to share two exciting updates that together mark a defining chapter in our US market entry.

Fenton, Michigan: A New Home for In-Shell Almond Processing

On May 19, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Strategic Fund Board announced the approval of a performance-based grant for Fenton Food and Beverage LLC, the new venture behind RE-NUT®'s first commercial extraction facility in North America, located in Fenton, Michigan (Genesee County). The project represents up to $56.2 million in capital investment and is expected to create 96 new jobs in the region, with average wages exceeding the regional median.

At the helm of Fenton Food and Beverage is Yahya Abbas, a food and beverage industry veteran with over 30 years of experience building category leaders in plant-based dairy alternatives. RE-NUT® is proud to be partnering with Yahya in this joint venture: his deep industry expertise and commercial network are a perfect complement to our patented in-shell processing technology.

The Michigan facility is set to be the first in North America to extract nut milk directly from whole in-shell nuts using water, no pastes, no concentrates, no unnecessary processing steps. Just the whole almond, in-shell, unlocking everything nature put into it. This is fully in line with the RE-NUT® philosophy: more yield, more fiber, more antioxidants, and a dramatically reduced environmental footprint compared to conventional nut processing. Commercial production is targeted to begin in 2027.

See Gov. Whitmer's announcement here.

Why This Matters: The Science Behind the Shell

The almond shell accounts for roughly the same mass as the kernel itself. Conventionally, it is discarded, burned or used as low-value livestock feed, contributing to the immense food loss embedded in global nut production (estimated at over 55 million tons annually). RE-NUT®'s approach changes that equation. By processing the whole in-shell almond, we capture the shell's substantial load of dietary fiber and phenolic antioxidants, which are well-documented in peer-reviewed literature for their roles in gut health support and oxidative stress reduction. At the same time, eliminating the shelling step reduces processing energy and cost, and keeping the kernel in nature's own packaging extends freshness through reduced oxidation.

The result: double the yield of nut solids, a richer nutritional profile, and a manufacturing process with zero side-stream waste. That's not just good food science: it's a compelling business case for every processor and food company working to meet the dual demand for clean labels and sustainable sourcing.