In 2008, RPA Farmers Co-op found its grain bins full as lines of trucks piled high with corn waited to get into its three elevator locations west of Springfield, Illinois.
General Manager Tom Harms knew the only solution was to add storage space to increase efficiency — and do it fast.
“We had a situation where we had greater demand for our space then we could accommodate,” said Harms, an almost
40-year veteran of the grain industry. “We were forced to buy space at other locations, which was expensive, time
consuming and not very efficient.”
With financing from CoBank, RPA Farmers Co-op, which serves about 300 members, embarked on a major expansion of its Ashland, Illinois, grain elevator, adding a high-speed conveyor system and a 1-million-bushel grain bin. The project was completed in 2010 — just in time for harvest.
“Speed and efficiency are a primary reason farmers choose a country grain elevator for their storage needs,” Harms
said. “In the long run, we’re much better having this new capacity on-site.”
RPA considered other lenders when seeking funding for the project, but turned to CoBank for its deep knowledge of the grain industry.
“We just didn’t think any of the private banks really understood our business,” Harms said. “We feel like CoBank is a partner that will be with us through good times and bad.”