The high-speed grain and dry fertilizer shuttle facility — Gavilon’s first in the state of South Dakota — is located near the intersection of U.S. Interstate 90 and state Highway 45 in Brule County, South Dakota. The grain facility will handle corn, soybeans, sorghum and wheat, and the fertilizer facility will distribute urea, monoammonium phosphate and potash. The facility unloaded its first unit train of fertilizer in approximately 10 hours earlier in October.
“We look forward to offering producers a local, competitive alternative in this important agricultural state,” said Jim Anderson, chief operating officer of agriculture at Gavilon. “South Dakota is a fast-growing production area, helped by advances in hybrids, production practices and higher commodity prices and utilizes the most urea in the U.S. We look forward to accommodating this growth and helping producers maximize their margins.”
“We are pleased to see this project, which is significant for the state of South Dakota, become a reality with the support of federal and state grants and private investments,” said investor Chuck Jepson of Richland Investments, LLC.
The greenfield project, which commenced construction in November 2011, includes a 2.2-million-bushel, upright concrete grain elevator, a 42,000-tonne dry fertilizer facility and a 1.5-mile loop track large enough to accommodate 125 cars. The Dakota Southern Railroad, which will service the shuttle facility, was recently upgraded to handle unit trains.
