Facility Feature
Central Valley Ag Adds Nearly 1 Million Bushels of Jumpform Concrete Storage

Glen Elder, KS — When Central Valley Ag added nearly 1 million bushels of upright jumpform concrete storage at its rail-loading elevator in Glen Elder, KS (785-545-3321), the idea wasn’t just to provide more segregations at a facility that already could hold more than 8 million bushels.

“We already have the ability to segregate,” says Location Manager Cody Richards, who came to Glen Elder five years ago from Cargill. “What our new tanks provide is the ability to hold and load more than one commodity, as needed.”

The Glen Elder facility can load 110-car trains on the Kyle Railroad, a regional shortline that connects to the Union Pacific in Solomon, KS. Richards notes that the elevator has gone from loading 10 to 20 trains a year during his tenure, as area grain yields and volumes have increased, and he anticipates loading as many as 40 trains in 2020. The facility loads corn, soybeans, wheat, and grain sorghum.

Contractor Adept With Jumpform Concrete Builders

The coop took bids and named Borton, LC, Hutchinson, KS (620-669-8211), as general contractor and millwright on the project. “They approached us at GEAPS Exchange and asked us if they could bid on the project,” Richards says. Borton is well known for its slipform concrete work, but the contractor also can work with jumpform concrete builders, in this case McPherson Concrete Storage Systems, McPherson, KS (620-241-4362).

• Watson Electric Inc., Salina, KS (785-827-2924), served as the electrical contractor.
• Kasa Controls & Automation, Salina (785-825-7181), supplied the automation system.
• Ziegler Construction, Emporia, KS (620-342-5478), performed excavation work on the site.
• Longfellow Foundations Inc., Hutchinson (620-662-1228), supplied auger-cast pilings.

Excavation for pilings began in February 2019. The project was just being completed, with some electrical and automation work, when Grain Journal visited in November.

The two new McPherson concrete tanks stand 72 feet in diameter and 136 feet tall holding 488,000 bushels each. The tanks are supported by a total of 312 Longfellow auger cast pilings 16 inches in diameter and 64 feet deep down to bedrock.

Flat-bottom tanks have Daay bin sweeps

The flat-bottom tanks are equipped with Sioux Steel Daay bin sweeps, BinMaster level monitors, and 12-cable AGI CMC Industrial grain temperature monitoring system with CMC’s Grain Ranger™ digital reporting system.

One of the two tanks also is equipped with a safety ladder for emergencies that is compliant with revised OSHA ladder safety rules. A locked cage at the base keeps unauthorized people off the ladder.

A set of four AGI Airlanco 75-hp centrifugal fans per tank supply 1/8 cfm per bushel on coarse grains through in-floor ducting. Richards says that the coop ordered the fans with silencers due to the elevator’s in-town location. “The silencers really make a difference, and it helps us keep peace with the city.”

A set of InterSystems 20,000-bph drag conveyors carry grain out to the new tanks from existing equipment. The tanks empty onto a set of 45,000-bph AGI Hi Roller enclosed belt conveyors in above-ground tunnels that run back to existing legs.

Richard says one of the two tanks was filled early in November with grain sorghum.

Company Profile: Central Valley Ag

• York, NE • 402-362-0246
• Founded: 2003
• Storage capacity: 93.3 million bushels at 53 locations
• Annual volume: 130 million bushels
• Annual revenues: $1.4 billion
• Number of members: 10,000+
• Number of employees: 900
• Crops handled: White and yellow corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, and sunflower
• Services: Grain, agronomy, feed, and energy

Key personnel at Glen Elder, KS

• Dan McBride, vice president-operations Area 2
• Thad Boden, location manager
• Tim Kaler, superintendent
• Diane Connelly, scale operator

Supplier List

• Aeration fans • AGI Airlanco
• Bearing sensors • 4B Components Ltd.
• Bin sweeps • GSI
• Bucket elevator • GSI InterSystems
• Catwalks • LeMar Industries
• Contractor/millwright • J & D Construction Inc.
• Control system • Ortmeier Electric
• Conveyors (belt) • AGI Hi Roller
• Conveyors (drag) • GSI InterSystems
• Conveyor belting • Continental
• Distributor • Schlagel, Inc.
• Electrical contractor • Ortmeier Electric
• Elevator buckets • Tapco Inc.
• Engineering • KC Engineering
• Grain dryer • Zimmerman Grain Dryers
• Grain temperature system • Tri-States Grain Conditioning, Inc.
• Insurance • Nationwide
• Leg belting • Continental
• Level indicators • GSI, Tri-States Grain Conditioning Inc.
• Motion sensors • 4B Components Ltd.
• Motors • WEG Electric Corp.
• Speed reducers • Dodge
• Steel storage • GSI
• Steel tank erection • Cross Country Construction LLC
• Tower support system • LeMar Industries
• Truck probe • Gamet Mfg. Inc.
• Truck scales • Rice Lake Weighing Systems Inc.

- Ed Zdrojewski, Editor

Reprinted from GRAIN JOURNAL November/December 2019 Issue