Pavilion, N.Y.-Jeffres Ag Service is completing a $250,000 expansion of its facility here, which has some parts that date back to the 1800s. Since they took over in 2003, the Jeffres brothers, prominent farmers in the area who also own a restaurant and other ventures, have seen the ag business show steady growth, with fertilizer sales increasing from 6,000 tons seven years ago to 13,000 tons last year. They expect to add another 600 to 700 tons with the modernization. “The original building was built in the late 1800s and has been added to and expanded many times since then,” Tom Jeffres told Green Markets. He said a new 10-ton dry mixer has been added to operate along with the old 8-ton mixer and more than double the throughput there. The two liquid blenders have been reconditioned, a new concrete containment area built, and a new tank added for the relocated liquid plant to increase holding capacity substantially. “We rebuilt the truck loadout and hopefully we’ll be getting more product moving through this area,” Jeffres reported. “We also refurbished part of the existing plant for a new office area and turned the old office into a break area for the help.” Jeffres has seven employees during peak season. Dick Copeland, who was with former owner JD Buckley & Sons, is manager; Deb Donneley is account manager, and Jeff Finch has been hired as a new salesman.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain