Henry Oxnard and investors open beet sugar factory in Grand Island, Nebraska. Later opening factories in Norfolk, Nebraska, Chino and Ventura, California, and Rocky Ford Colorado.

Just before the turn of the century in 1899, the Nebraska, California and Colorado factories are combined under the American Beet Sugar Company name.

Crookston-area farmer Carl Wigand ships beets to Chaska, Minnesota, for processing. The next few years, more Red River Valley farmers send beets to Chaska plant, owned by the Minnesota Sugar Company.

American Beet acquires Minnesota Sugar Company, opens factory in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.

American Beet changes its name to American Crystal Sugar Company to closer align with its namesake Crystal Sugar brand.

Growers organize Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association to represent them in dealings with American Crystal.

American Crystal opens factory in Moorhead, Minnesota.

American Crystal dedicates factory in Crookston, Minnesota, its third in the Red River Valley.

American Crystal opens fourth Red River Valley factory, in Drayton, North Dakota.

Al Bloomquist, executive director of the Red River Valley Growers Association writes American Crystal president Charles Briggs, proposing that valley growers buy American Crystal.

Following an earlier vote by over 1,000 members of the Crystal Growers Corporation, the purchase of American Crystal Sugar Company was finalized for $86 million transforming the privately held company into one of the nation’s first and largest farmer-owned beet sugar cooperatives.

New corporate headquarters opens in Moorhead, Minnesota.

American Crystal adds its fifth Red River Valley factory in Hillsboro, North Dakota, after a merger with Red River Valley Cooperative.

American Crystal opens new research center near the Moorhead factory.

The company began using forced ventilation into sugarbeet piles to cool them more effectively. Other storage advancements included infrared monitoring, pile splitting, and large deep freeze sheds to extend factory operations.

Growers vote to implement a Quality Payment System, marking the first time a beet sugar company had paid on the basis of tons and sugar quality.

American Crystal joins Midwest Agri-Commodities Company, along with Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative and Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative, to jointly market beet pulp and molasses.

American Crystal, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative and Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative form United Sugars Corporation to collectively market their sugar. In 1997, Florida based United States Sugar Corporation joined the marketing group as did Wyoming Sugar Company in 2018. (Now United Sugar Producers and Refiners Cooperative.)

American Crystal, Golden Growers and Minn-Dak construct ProGold high fructose corn syrup plant in Wahpeton, North Dakota, which later enters agreement with Cargill to manage the plant and market its products.

A $66 million Hillsboro expansion project is brought online significantly increasing factory capacity.

American Crystal purchases sugarbeet factories in Sidney, Montana; Torrington, Wyoming; and Hereford, Texas. Torrington is leased to a Denver-based sugar cooperative, Hereford is left idle, and Sidney is operated as a wholly owned subsidiary under the name Sidney Sugars Incorporated.

American Crystal’s Board of Directors authorizes planting Roundup® Ready sugarbeets for the 2008 crop year.

Financed by American Crystal, United Sugars opens Montgomery, Illinois, transloading facility. The nation’s first forward shipping sugar dome near the key Chicago market. A second dome is added in 2022. (United Sugars is now United Sugar Producers and Refiners Cooperative.)

American Crystal launches a multi-year $500 million plan to expand Drayton factory and improve other Red River Valley factories.

American Crystal marks 50-year anniversary as the nation’s first and largest grower-owned beet sugar cooperative. Celebrating a half-century of progress that continues to make life sweeter for customers, shareholders, employees, and communities.