What They Needed
Like many retailers, Conserv FS realized it needed to address its aging facilities to continue to serve its member owners well into the future, starting with its Waterman, IL location.
“Agriculture has changed. Technology has changed. We wanted to prepare the company to serve the next generation of agriculture,” explained Conserv FS GM, Dave Swigart.
To achieve this goal, Conserv FS determined they needed to increase the speed, throughput, and storage capacity of their fertilizer and crop protection facilities. Also, with high inventory costs, Conserv FS wanted to be sure they had accurate on-time and on-demand inventory levels.
“Looking forward, we wanted to make sure our company was sustainable both financially and environmentally,” shared Adam Day, Conserv FS Agronomy Sales and Marketing Manager.
Having done a project with Murray Equipment previously and their familiarity with ICS Controls, the decision was easy for Conserv FS.
What We Designed
Conserv FS purchased 20 acres around their existing facility to build both a new liquid fertilizer/crop protection retail facility and a dry fertilizer blending facility.
The 80’ x 231’ state-of-the-art liquid facility designed by Murray Equipment features 3 outbound load bays with both top and bottom load - 2 attended bays for fertilizer and crop protection and an unattended loadout bay for 24/7 access. The 3rd bay also doubles as an inbound unloading bay. The fully-automated liquid facility also features a mini-bulk filling station, 1 million gallon UAN tank plus 180,000 gallons of liquid fertilizer, and 73,200 gallons of bulk herbicide storage.
The dry fertilizer building sports a new autobatch system controlled by MEI’s ICS Controls.
In fact, both plants are run with ICS controls. Conserv FS wanted the synergy and accuracy that comes from using the same automation company-wide.
“One of the reasons we chose Murray Equipment was their ICS Controls. It ties in with our accounting and agronomy software for more accurate billing and invoicing,” Mr. Day remarked. “By using the same software across the company we are able to train employees to work across all our locations as well as collaborate together on best practices.”
Benefits Achieved
The new Waterman, IL facility boasts a 500% increase in both speed and capacity. This not only allows them to service the area growers better, it helps Conserv FS optimize their other locations as well by sharing the workload.
“We are happy with the results of this project so far,” enthused Mr. Day. “It fits in with our mission to deliver unbeatable customer service well into the future.”
Perhaps the best way to sum up the success of the project is Conserv FS’s decision to upgrade another facility.
“The collaboration between Conserv FS, Murray Equipment, and our general contractor was excellent,” asserted Mr. Swigart. “We already have another identical liquid facility in the works for another location. We like the equipment, we like working with Murray, and the employees enjoy working at the facility”
FACILITY PHOTO GALLERY
