CHS expanding northern Minnesota grain facility

CHS is expanding a grain facility in northern Minnesota.

CHS will begin construction this summer on a grain facility with 1.25 million bushels of additional storage capacity at Erskine, Minnesota, a town of 450 people east of Crookston in Polk County.

The facility is slated to be operational in the fall of 2023. The new shuttle elevator will bring total capacity at Erskine to 4.55 million bushels of storage and will complement existing CHS grain, agronomy and energy assets and offerings for area producers, the company says in a news release.

“CHS is committed to growing our cooperative with customer-focused solutions that make it easier for producers to do business with us,” Rick Dusek, executive vice president of CHS ag retail operations, said in a news release. “Our people, assets, capabilities and operational footprint are the strengths of our retail platform, and this important project advances our strategy to expand our customer-focused retail solutions platform, creating value and driving growth for farmers – as customers and owners. This facility is a key location in the flow of grain from the Upper Midwest to export terminals in the Pacific Northwest.”

The new terminal is the latest in a series of investments throughout Minnesota and North Dakota by CHS. The company says it has placed priority on safety features and advancements to improve operating conditions.

“Along with expanding our grain handling capabilities and value to area farmers, the new facility will create advantages for our employees, farmers and community,” says James Hardy, who manages CHS Northern Grain, a CHS business unit with 11 grain facilities in northwest Minnesota. “Improved traffic flows, better operating conditions, advanced equipment and the latest safety advances are just some of the innovations to help us provide a better customer experience. We want to get producers in, out and back to the field as quickly and safely as possible.”

Vigen Construction out of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, is overseeing this construction project.