CHS and MKC to build grain shuttle facility in Kansas

St. Paul, Minn. — CHS Inc. and Mid-Kansas Cooperative (MKC) have approved an agreement to form a limited liability company (LLC) to build and operate a high-speed shuttle loading facility in Canton, Kan. Construction on property currently owned by MKC is expected to begin this spring and will take approximately 12 months. Located on the Union Pacific rail line, the grain shuttle will load 110-car trains bound for export facilities in the Pacific Northwest, the Gulf Coast, and Mexico. Upon completion, onsite storage will be in excess of 3 million bushels. “We are excited about the opportunity to come together with strong partners like MKC and TMA to expand the global reach for Kansas grain farmers,” said John McEnroe, executive vice president, CHS Country Operations Division. “This is a great example of how we can be greater together.” The newly formed LLC will become a member of Team Marketing Alliance (TMA), which will handle grain marketing services for the Canton grain shuttle facility. TMA is a limited liability company that is wholly owned by four central Kansas cooperatives that operate a combined 48 country elevator facilities: MKC, Cooperative Grain & Supply, Hillsboro, Kan.; Farmers Cooperative Elevator Co., Halstead, Kan.; and The Farmers Cooperative Elevator Co., Nickerson, Kan. TMA is the grain division for these four local cooperatives. "MKC has been studying this project for quite some time, and part of our due diligence included the selection of the right partner that could bring us an advantage immediately,” said David Christensen, MKC CEO. “We’re very pleased to be able to develop a partnership with our regional cooperative CHS that will bring considerable value to our member owners.”