KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A New Zealand company plans to move its headquarters to Kearney and set up a production plant for its biomass resin product.

The plant will use distillers grains to produce a functional filler for the plastics industry.

Marge Lauer, of Kearney Area Ag Producers Alliance, says LignoTech Developments Ltd. in New Zealand wholly owns Xylemer BioProducts Inc., which will be setting up shop in Kearney.

The wet distillers grains are a byproduct of ethanol fuel production. But Lauer says there have been successful trials using other biomass, such as sugar beet pulp and rice hulls.

Lauer says plans are to have the plant operational in the fourth quarter of next year. About a dozen new jobs will be created.