A SPLASH OF DIVERSIFICATION
BY ADELINE PANAMAROFF
The board of governors of Westlock Terminals recognized that to thrive as a relatively small player in the grain handling business requires diversification. The independent elevator was established in 2002 when its mostly local shareholders purchased the former Agricore United elevator. This was done with the intent to maintain community control, provide local jobs and strengthen the regional economy. Westlock Terminals has since carefully expanded its product and service offering.
“That’s the biggest challenge nowadays at any grain terminal,” said CEO Clifford Bell. “It doesn’t matter how much you can get in the front door; it’s how much you can get out the back door.”
Since its launch, Westlock Terminals has expanded beyond basic grain handling, storage, grading and shipping. It offers truck transportation of grain to and from the facility. Bell emphasized the location of the terminal is an advantage, as it can offer cheap freight rates to the West Coast. It also handles receipt and delivery of bulk fertilizer and acts as a site for delivery of municipal construction supplies such as pallets of concrete powder.
On Aug. 14, 2025, Westlock Terminals stretched its value-added wings with the launch of Milwest Distillery and Spirits, a 1,700-square-foot facility located in a retrofitted farm machine repair and storage shop. Purchased from the Town of Westlock, the property proved to be an ideal location in which to distill grain, a commodity the terminal handles in abundance. It proved a “significant” financial investment, but the construction of a new building wasn’t required. “That’s typically a big part of any new entity’s investment. We didn’t have to pay for that,” said Bell, who is also Milwest’s CEO.
The Milwest distilling system was supplied and installed by Northern Republic Brewing and Distilling Services of Clearwater, B.C. The equipment can produce 1,000 litres of distillate per week. Milwest facility tours and tastings can be arranged by appointment.
The business employs a head distiller who oversees recipe development and distilling and a part-time assistant who handles packaging and additional production tasks.
The Milwest product line includes aged whisky, gin and an unflavoured vodka, all made from local wheat. Silo Vodka and Sentinel Gin are now available in select liquor stores across Alberta and can be purchased directly at Milwest. Bell is now working to have Milwest products available at Edmonton restaurants as well as Alberta farmers’ markets.
Another boost to its bottom line, the business finds value in the 350-plus kilograms of spent grain produced by each batch of distilled product. Westlock Terminals has added this output to its line of livestock feed products, which increases sustainability and lowers cost of production. “We can theoretically produce spirits a little bit more reasonably than the next guy,” said Bell.
Farmer Kent Wierenga has sold grains to the terminals for many years. “I am excited to see the distillery added to Westlock Terminals,” he said. “I find it to be a neat value-add [to see] local grains being turned into high-quality local craft spirits.”
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