CHS would like to take this opportunity to explain our new Kiosk card reader and touch screen system being installed and ready for wheat harvest 2020 at our Yuma Shuttle Facility.

With the new kiosk system, drivers will no longer have to leave their trucks at any time during the unloading process, will be able to select which account the wheat will need to go in and will make harvest more efficient for getting in and out of the elevator.  Each truck will have a card with your accounts pre-loaded on it and once the card is scanned the driver will select which one of your accounts the wheat needs to go on.  All kiosks have an intercom button that will call the scale house. If you need assistance or have comments you would like added to the ticket, please use the intercom.

The process of going through the shuttle using the kiosks is as follows:

Kiosk #1:  Located on the southeast side of the office.  At this kiosk you will scan your card to choose the correct account.  After the card is scanned and account is chosen you will pull ahead to get your load probed and graded.

Kiosk #2:  Located on the northwest side of the truck scale.  Once on the scale you will scan your card and your truck will be weighed.  Once weighed you will proceed to the designated pit where you are to dump.  After dumping return to the scale.

Kiosk #3:  Located on the southeast side of the scale.  You will scan your card and your truck will be weighed.  Once weighed a ticket will be printed at this kiosk and you can return to the field.  You will no longer have to stop at the office for your ticket.

One piece of information to note is that there will be a six-foot electronic message board as trucks enter the facility.  This board will contain important information for the driver as they pull into the shuttle.

To ensure a smooth transition to the new system, please contact Lori Pieper or Dalton Hinde in the Administration Office (970-848-5432) to make any changes to accounts or to set up new accounts.  This is critical to ensure fewer mistakes and a quick unload once you start hauling grain to the facility. Please contact the Administration Office to indicate how many cards you will need.

If you are interested in doing a run through prior to harvest, please contact Jason Rahm at 970-630-3490.  Due to tight schedules, we cannot assure you that we can accommodate a practice run but please call and we will do our best to assist you and answer any questions you may have.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions.  CHS is committed to providing connections of value for you.  We appreciate your business and wish you a safe harvest season.

Big changes have taken place at the CHS liquid fertilizer plant, which is located northeast of Holyoke, CO.  Originally built in 2000, the plant and its components were becoming obsolete and challenging to repair and operate.  Thanks to countless hours from CHS employees, both local and some from South Dakota, the liquid plant underwent a complete upgrade to serve area growers in a more efficient manner.

Simply put, the liquid plant blends fertilizer for growers.  Eighty-five percent of what leaves the plant goes straight to growers’ farms.  The plant in NE Colorado serves as a hub to get product in and out.  Bulk fertilizer comes in on a rail car and leaves via truck, blended to the farmer’s specifications and delivered to their farm.  Deliveries stretch from SW Nebraska to western Logan County in Colorado, then south to Yuma County, Colorado.

The liquid plant renovation project began in December 2019, with the first load being hauled out from the new facility in April 2020.  The updated liquid plant now boasts a new, fully automated system, new bulk storage tanks, re-routed piping to increase efficiency, upgraded pumps and a building to house micro-nutrients.  Thanks to the fully automated system, farmers will be able to load fertilizer 24/7 from the plant.  Currently, CHS employees are the only ones who can load at any time of day, but it is the goal to have the system set up by this fall for growers to load their own product at any time.

In addition to increasing efficiency of the liquid plant, the improvements will make CHS more competitive in the marketplace.  Product can be sourced faster because bigger units can be taken in.  The cost savings of buying large bulk units can be passed on to the grower.  It is the goal of all involved with the project to continue growing the market in Colorado and SW Nebraska.

We are pleased to announce that Frank Struck, Jr. has been hired to manage credit for our customers and owners. Frank will be providing support for the three Colorado CHS business units: CHS Grainland, CHS M&M, and CHS AIP.

Frank started in his new role with CHS on April 13, 2020 and brings a variety of experiences and knowledge to this new position.  He has been in the credit and collections business for the past 20 plus years. He began his career in third party collections, then became a legal investigator for an insurance subrogation law firm. Most recently, Frank has spent the last 11 years in the loss mitigation and credit risk department at the fourth largest credit union in Colorado.  Frank grew up in Denver and received an Associate of Arts in Spanish from the Community College of Aurora and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from CSU Global.  Currently, Frank lives with his two sons in Brighton and is looking forward to relocating to northeastern Colorado by the end of July.

In this new role, Frank will be working with our customers to find credit solutions tailored to their specific needs. He is also responsible for managing credit in accordance with the CHS Global Credit Policy.

You can reach Frank at 970-466-3420 or frank.struck@chsinc.com.