New $40M South Dakota Grain Facility Loads First Train
A new $40 million grain loading facility built by Wheat Growers by in Kennebec, South Dakota has come online and has loaded its first train of soybeans.
The plan to build the new facility was made possible due to the rehabilitation of the state-owned railroad line running from Chamberlain to Presho.
Before the beginning of the rail rehabilitation project, Dale Locken, CEO of Wheat Growers pledged to invest in the construction of a grain loading and fertilizer distribution center once the heavy rail line was completed. In response,
farmers and local groups raised funds, and grants were secured from both state and federal governments to fund the upgrading of the line.
Once the grain facility is fully operational, loading a full train will take six hours compared to the full day it took to load the first train, however the number of trains that the facility will load will depend on the point in the season and grain markets.
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