Cargill Investing $30M in Holdrege Elevator

HOLDREGE, Neb.Cargill will invest about $30 million in a project to add a railroad service at its grain elevator southwest of Holdrege, as well as to increase unloading speeds, storage and shipping capacity.

The capital investment project at Holdrege is expected to be completed by the harvest of 2014. It will add a rail service along the BNSF Railroad, allowing Cargill to load 120-car shuttle trains. The added rail service will expand the company's markets for farmer customers to the Pacific Northwest and the U.S. Southwest.

The project will also increase storage capacity by 3.5 million bushels, which will bring the total to 5 million. The company plans to add three truck receiving pits as well, with a combined 80,000 bushel per hour truck receiving capacity. Additionally, the facility will have 70,000 bushel per hour rail shipping capacity. The enhancements will provide efficiencies for area producers. Given the project enhancements, the facility will increase its staff from seven fulltime grain employees to 10 or more over the next year and contractors will have about 100 employees at the site in different stages of construction.

Cargill has been making other investments lately, most recently opening its 58th Cargill Cares School in Vietnam.