ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Park District Wednesday announced CHS Rochelle is donating $20,000 that will be split between the park district’s Engage Program and security upgrades at The REC.
The CHS processing plant located at 1900 Steward Road buys corn from area farmers and processes it in to roughly 125 million gallons of ethanol and by-products including distillers dried grains with solubles used by animal feed manufacturers to boost protein content. The plant employs 64 people in a variety of engineering, processing, maintenance, safety and support positions.

“The donation is one more demonstration of how we work together for shared success and to strengthen our communities,” CHS facility manager Mike Van Houten said.
Back in 2014, CHS acquired the plant here in Rochelle. CHS Inc. (www.chsinc.com) is a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States. Diversified in energy, agronomy, grains and foods, CHS is committed to creating connections to empower agriculture, helping its farmer-owners, customers and other stakeholders grow their businesses through its domestic and global operations. CHS supplies energy, crop nutrients, seed, crop protection products, grain marketing services, production and agricultural services, animal nutrition products, foods and food ingredients, and risk management services. The company operates petroleum refineries and pipelines and manufactures, markets and distributes Cenex® brand refined fuels, lubricants, propane and renewable energy products.
The park district is thankful to CHS Rochelle for supporting The REC and the Engage Program. The goal of the park district’s Engage Program is to have no individual, from child to senior, be tuned away from recreation programs due to the inability to pay registration fees. The Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District is passionate about encouraging engagement in recreational activities. Activity changes attitudes. Feeling positive about health and wellness will improve behaviors with others as well as development of new skills. The benefits of recreation are endless and strive to impact as many lives as possible. The support from CHS Rochelle will help us continue toward this goal.
Construction at The REC has continued throughout this time, and remains on track to be completed in September. Most of the exterior work has been completed and the team has begun work on the interior. The facility will provide for a variety of activities in the 60,000 square foot fieldhouse, a 24-hour state of the art fitness facility and the multipurpose rooms will allow for park district classes, rentals, and events put on by the community.