J.R. Simplot Co., Boise, Idaho, and Columbia Grain, Portland, Ore., have joined forces to create a new rail distribution and storage terminal in Crystal, N.D.
The terminal, scheduled for completion in March, will allow the two to more efficiently supply customers in the Midwest with competitive grain bids and crop nutrients.
Tom Hammond, Columbia Grain president and CEO, said the association between his company and Simplot will be good for customers and for both firms. “I feel there will be advantages for both companies by offering competitive grain bids and crop nutrients at the same location, and our customers will see the benefits, too,” said Hammond.
According to Dave Dufault, head of the Simplot Grower Solutions network of farm service stores in the West and Midwest, the partnership benefits Simplot in many ways. “I think our involvement in this new operation reinforces to our customers that Simplot is totally committed to agriculture and food production,” he said. “As a leader in the grain business, Columbia Grain is the perfect partner for us.”
Columbia Grain’s storage facilities will have a maximum one-time capacity of 1.3 million bushels, while the Simplot facility will hold 26,000 st of dry crop nutrients. Storage facilities of the two companies can accommodate 120-car shuttle trains at one time. The process moves product in and out at extremely high speeds. Simplot plans in the future to add seed storage facilities to the operation, Dufault said.
Construction on primary storage facilities for both companies, plus a large store and warehouse for Simplot Grower Solutions, began in May.
Columbia Grain is a leading grain exporter, with operations in six western states. The company supplies high-quality grain to both domestic markets and export markets worldwide.
The privately-held Simplot has an integrated portfolio, including phosphate mining, fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching and cattle production, food processing, food brands, and other enterprises related to agriculture. Simplot’s major operations are located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and China, with products marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide.