Burns & McDonnell will build BioMADE’s Minnesota pilot facility, enabling scalable biotech manufacturing, innovation support, and strengthening U.S. supply chains.
Burns & McDonnell, a fully employee-owned engineering, construction, and consulting firm, has been appointed as the engineer-procure-construct (EPC) contractor for BioMADE’s inaugural demonstration-scale facility within its Pilot Plant Network. Located in Maple Grove, Minnesota, this new facility represents a significant step toward bridging the gap between laboratory-scale innovation and dependable large-scale U.S. manufacturing. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to strengthen domestic production capabilities, create high-quality jobs, and enhance supply chain resilience across the country.
BioMADE’s Pilot Plant Network is designed to provide innovators, startups, and established organizations with access to shared manufacturing infrastructure and specialized equipment that would otherwise require substantial capital investment. By offering a collaborative environment, the network enables users to test, optimize, and scale their biotechnological processes more efficiently. The Maple Grove site, in particular, will function similarly to a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), allowing companies to validate and refine their technologies using shared resources before transitioning to full-scale commercial production.
Spanning approximately 122,000 square feet, the facility will involve the conversion of an existing commercial building into a highly adaptable, multipurpose bioindustrial manufacturing space. It will support a wide range of processes, including fermentation and downstream processing, with capacities ranging from laboratory scale up to 25,000 liters. The design also incorporates flexibility for future expansion, ensuring that the site can evolve alongside technological advancements and increasing demand.
In addition to its technical capabilities, the facility will be equipped with advanced safety and security features to meet the requirements of handling sensitive and high-value materials. Its operational focus will include the production and processing of various chemicals and advanced materials. Notably, it will also support the development of defense-related products such as lightweight composite materials, anticorrosive lubricants, energetics, and precursor substances essential for energetic applications.
According to Rob Rainbolt, Vice President of Manufacturing at Burns & McDonnell, the partnership with BioMADE represents a major milestone in strengthening the infrastructure required to scale bio-based innovations within the United States. He emphasized that demonstration-scale facilities like this one play a crucial role in closing the gap between promising research concepts and reliable industrial production. Such infrastructure is vital for enhancing domestic manufacturing capabilities, improving supply chain stability, and accelerating the commercialization of emerging technologies.
The Maple Grove facility is expected to serve as a practical testing ground for organizations seeking pilot-scale production capabilities without the financial and operational burden of constructing and maintaining their own dedicated facilities. By lowering these barriers, the project aims to foster innovation and speed up the development of sustainable, bio-based products.
Jack Starr, Chief Manufacturing Officer at BioMADE, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting Burns & McDonnell’s extensive technical expertise and proven track record. He noted that their involvement will be instrumental in ensuring the successful expansion of the Pilot Plant Network across the nation, ultimately supporting the growth of the U.S. bioeconomy.
