June 8, 2006

DeBruce plans facility to move feed grains in Texas

Debruce Grain Inc is planning to expand its grain-handling capabilities with plans to build a high-speed commodity-handling operation in Etter, Texas that would break ground in July.

The commodity facility would complement the company's existing grain operation in Etter and would be on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line.

The commodity-handling facility would have multiple bays for feed ingredients and a capacity of 22,000 tonnes.

A rail receiving capacity of 800 tonnes an hour is planned and the facility would have overhead truck loading tanks for quick loading.

CEO Paul DeBruce said the company has a feed ingredient trading operation in the area and the facility would allow the company to buy in bulk and sell them to local dairy and cattle feedlots.

The facility would improve the company's ability to process and distribute feed ingredients, Debruce said.

Grain operations would also be supplemented by distillers grains from the increasing number of ethanol plants in the region.

In addition, corn gluten pellets or any feed ingredient the company can buy for livestock producers in the region would move through the new facility.

DeBruce Grain operates more than 30 primary physical plant operations in the Midwest. Business units include high-speed grain-handling facilities and grain, fertiliser and feed ingredient trading groups.

The company is the eighth-largest grain storage company in the US.