Meet MMC’s Malthouses: The Winona Plant – It takes a team
March 6, 2026
Malteurop’s Winona, Minnesota malthouse is set apart by the variety of malts that it produces and the team that makes it happen.
The story behind Malteurop’s Winona Malting Plant
Farmers plant the seeds that become the root of all we do at Malteurop – devoted to making exceptional malt. Malthouses in Winona, Minnesota; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Great Falls, Montana; and Meoqui, Chihuahua, Mexico, have grown from the roots those farmers planted.
Just as there are stories behind the breweries and distilleries we partner with, there are stories that have shaped each of our four plants. This is Winona’s story.
Welcome to Winona
Located in bluff country along the shores of the Mighty Mississippi, Winona is a gateway to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Its link to nature is evident within each of the area’s five state parks, two national wildlife refuges, Winona Lake, and more.
Surrounded by water with the Mississippi River running right through town, Winona also holds its own when it comes to shipping ports and bustling industries. Home to just under 30,000 residents along with agricultural zones, it’s also home to one of Malteurop’s four malthouses.
The evolution of Malteurop’s Winona Malthouse
“There are many beautiful places in the world, and this area – the beauty of it – is as good as anywhere else,” says Winona Plant Manager Tom Stiner.
Part of that beauty is agriculture. The plant was originally built near barley fields at the turn of the 20th century. And as things do over time, changes happened in the fields, too. Corn slowly became the dominant agricultural product, pushing the barley fields west and north.
But that didn’t slow this malthouse down. Over the years, Malteurop’s Winona Malthouse has kept up with customer needs by adding specialty malts into its portfolio of high quality malts.
The Winona Malthouse started in 1900 making malts for local breweries with one malthouse and a set of steel silos. Barley was brought in by horse and buggy. In 1955, it changed ownership. Along with that change of ownership and advanced technologies came a barley elevator and an additional eight pack of silos.
Fast forward about 20 years, and a brand new malthouse was built along with two more sets of silos, resulting in an unheard of amount of silos – 98, to be exact.
“We’re blessed with those silos and that helps with our portfolios because we have so many different varieties of malt, so we’re able to keep them separated,” Stiner says.
From the 1970s to today, the Winona Plant has changed hands as many long-standing companies do. However, now being a part of the Malteurop Malting Company, and under Tom Stiner’s watchful eye, the Winona Plant takes full advantage of its historical roots and location.
The team here knows the terroir and what their customers need. And being on the Mississippi River, the malts here can be enjoyed almost anywhere in the world.
Each of Malteurop’s four malting houses have their own histories, but all of them come together to foster community within each unique location and within the company itself.
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Discover the story behind Malteurop Malting Company.
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Winona Malthouse is more than a malthouse; it’s a community.
Tom and his entire team recognize the importance of capital investment to keep the malthouse operating at its peak proficiency. Capital investments at Winona include such equipment as a state of the art bagging plant, heat exchangers, and milling capabilities. Big ticket items like these are huge projects that help fine tune MMC’s malts to be some of the best in the world.
But MMC also recognizes that without the entire Malteurop team working together, the equipment is just that – equipment. It takes a team to make the malts that brewers and distillers expect from Malteurop.
And that is one of Tom’s proudest achievements for the Winona Plant.
“The biggest thing I’m proud of personally at the Winona Plant is that I’ve brought the management and the laborers – the union employees – closer together. We have a better understanding. They understand our needs and we understand theirs. We all seem to work as a team.”
Safety is key at Malteurop.
And working as a team creates an environment that easily promotes safety. By prioritizing safety with every task at the Winona Plant – all Malteurop plants, in fact – there is decreased risk no matter the job.
Tom and his team work tirelessly to improve and eliminate possible job hazards, from the floor to the tops of the silos. By completing a risk assessment prior to every job, and including a safety talk during every shift, safety is a constant throughout the plant.
“We talk safety every day, multiple times a day. We have monthly meetings with safety. We discuss the happenings in the plant. We list things to improve and abide by that list and everyone has an input. The union guys all the way to management.” (Tom Stiner)
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Learn more about Malteurop’s safety culture.
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How does the Winona plant support brewers/distillers with reliable customer-first solutions in today’s market?
While safety is a top priority, so is customer service. And customer service starts with making sure each and every one of Malteurop’s partners get exactly what they need to craft their products.
And at Malteurop’s Winona Plant, that equals specialty malts.
New products start with Dr. Yin Li in the lab, but it’s the entire Malteurop team that helps to fine tune them, running test batches and quality control to ensure that each partner gets the product expected.
Base malts such as Munich 5L, specialty malts like Crystal Wheat 3L and Dextrin, and more are now a large part of Winona’s portfolio. It is here where these malts are dialed in on a large level.
With its specialty malts and bagging plant, getting brewers and distillers what they need for today’s market is a source of pride for Tom and the entire team at Malteurop’s Winona Plant.
“It’s a team effort – from lab to sales to plant to brewer.” (Tom Stiner)
Customer-first solutions continue with Malteurop Distribution Supercenter.
As part of its continued commitment to quality and customer support, Malteurop built a distribution supercenter across the road from the Winona Malthouse. This distribution supercenter allows MMC to continue its industry leading commitment to providing the highest quality, freshest malt possible.
A key element of the distribution supercenter is the ability to mill MMC’s entire product line, allowing Malteurop full control over the grind to provide the consistency in quality and freshness that customers have come to expect.
“By bringing all milling in-house right next to our inventory, we have full control over the grind consistency and ensure every batch is milled just moments before shipment,” said Malteurop North American General Manager, Darrin Peterson.
“This means our customers are guaranteed the highest quality, freshest ingredients every time, providing a reliable foundation and complete solution for their own product needs.”
What does the future hold for malting at Winona?
While breweries have consistently used innovative and unique products, including malts, Tom is now also starting to see that same interest within distilleries.
When it comes to the future of malting, Tom gets straight to the point, “For the Winona Plant, it’ll be in the craft industry and the specialty malts.” Which is why Malteurop added a distribution supercenter on site with milling capabilities essential to meeting the specific needs of the craft industry, whether brewing or distilling.
And who knows more than MMC about what is in store for the future of the craft industry, especially as more and more companies delve into newly developing market segments such as flavored malt beverages, ready to drink cocktails, and the relatively newly designated American Single Malt Whiskey standard.
What makes the Winona plant unique?
All four of Malteurop’s malthouses proudly make MMC high quality malts, but each malthouse has its own characteristics.
Malteurop’s Winona Plant is a bit unique in that it focuses on both base malts and specialty malts. Combine that with its location on the Mississippi River and you’ve got one mighty malthouse right next to one mighty river.
Tom is proud of the malts that come out of the Winona Plant. “That’s what really differentiates this plant over any other plant is the specialty malts. There are a variety of different types of malts that are produced right now at this plant.”
The malts and the teamwork: together they make the dream work.
“Teamwork at the plant starts way before the plant and continues long after.” (Tom Stiner)
Premium grains from field to flavor.
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About Malteurop Malting Company (MMC)
Malteurop Malting Company (MMC) is based in North America—specializing in growing and producing quality malts for the beer, whiskey, and food processing industries. With local farms and Malthouses spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Malteurop’s commitment to excellence is fully ingrained into every batch it produces, ensuring businesses of any size can create the finest beverages and food products on the planet.
Visit www.malteuropmaltingco.com to learn how we can support your malting needs.
Contact us at customersuccess@malteurop.com or (844) 546-MALT (6258) for questions or to place your order.
Malting is our passion. Quality is our promise.
