WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA — Richardson International Limited announced on Dec. 22 that it is expanding its Richardson Pioneer grain handling facility in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada to increase grain storage capacity and improve handling efficiencies. Richardson is building an additional 12,000-tonne storage facility with a full workhouse and a brand new office to complement its existing elevator in Estevan. The total storage capacity at the facility will increase to over 24,000 tonnes.

“We are excited to invest in Estevan, a community in which we have a longstanding presence and strong customer support,” says Darwin Sobkow, vice-president, Agribusiness Operations. “The expansion project at Estevan will not only increase our storage capacity, it will also allow us to achieve new efficiencies at this facility for our business and our customers.”

The Estevan expansion will increase shipping capacity to 50 000 bushels per hour and expand to a 112-car spot for shipping. A full cleaning line for wheat and canola will also be built at the new facility. FWS will begin construction in early 2012 and the project is expected to be complete by the spring of 2013. Richardson Pioneer’s Estevan facility will remain fully operational throughout the expansion project.

“At Richardson, we continue to invest in our network of grain handling and crop input facilities across Western Canada to enhance our services to customers here at home and meet the growing needs of customers around the world,” says Sobkow.

This announcement is the latest in a series of investments Richardson has made to expand and enhance its Richardson Pioneer network. Construction is currently under way on a 6,000-tonne fertilizer shed with a 200-tonne per hour, state-of-the-art blending tower in Estevan, which was announced in July as part of the company’s $25 million investment to build nine new fertilizer facilities across Western Canada.

Richardson International is Canada’s largest, privately owned agribusiness and has served farmers across the country for more than 150 years. Based in Winnipeg, Richardson has over 1,700 employees across Canada and is a worldwide handler and merchandiser of all major Canadian-grown grains and oilseeds. Richardson is one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies and is recognized as a global leader in agriculture and food processing.