Milling & Baking News - March 26, 2019 - 10

Business

Milling industry, railroads cope with
severe Midwest flooding

Nebraska and Iowa, all ADM milling facilities are open. However, rail transportation
is limited in several areas due to flooding.
We are working to leverage our extensive
KANSAS CITY - Flooding that struck the Kansas City. The company last year closed transportation and operating network as
much as possible to meet customer needs.
Midwest in mid-March threatened to have a flour mill in Fremont.
"Today, team members with Ardent This is a difficult time for the communities
a long-term impact on agriculture and the
food industry. Rail transportation was dis- Mills' Fremont, Neb., grain elevator facil- where many of our employees and cusrupted. Affected operations included an ity were assessing its operational status in tomers live and work, and we are focused
Ardent Mills' grain elevator in Fremont, the wake of widespread flooding in the on working together with all partners inNeb., where the town of more than 26,000 area from the Platte river," Ardent Mills volved to manage through this situation."
Railroad disruptions included importemporarily turned into a "virtual island," said March 18. "All team members are
and a Manildra Milling vital wheat gluten safe, and their homes have been spared. tant lines that move grain shipments
The town of Fremont became a virtual is- down from South Dakota and Nebraska
plant in Hamburg, Iowa.
Record winter precipitation was blamed land last Friday (March 15) as all major and through Kansas City. Railroad lines
for the flooding, and late last week the roads surrounding the city closed due to between Kansas City and St. Louis were
being monitored as well.
U.S. Department of Com"Unfortunately, our Hammerce warned the effects of
burg plant was directly imthe flooding could spread
pacted by the flooding,"
widely as the spring prosaid Neal Bassi, president
gresses.
of Manildra Group USA, on
Steven Nelson, president
March 18. "The extent of the
of the Nebraska Farm Budamage and longevity of
reau, said he had been in
the impact is still unknown.
contact with the Nebraska
First and foremost, everyone
Department of Agriculture.
is safe. Our primary concern
Preliminary estimates on agis for our employees, their
ricultural losses in the state
families and their homes, inwere in the range of $400
cluding the community and
million-plus in livestock
their facilities. We intend to
and $440 million in the crop
start operations once all utilsector from delayed or preities have been restored and
vented planting. Neither of
repaired to the city."
the estimates accounted for A BNSF train sits in flood waters from the Platte river, in Plattsmouth, Neb.,
He added, "We are in the
property losses, with exam- March 17. Hundreds of people remained out of their homes in Nebraska,
process of updating all of our
ples being barns, buildings, but rivers there were starting to recede.
customers who have been imcorrals, fences, irrigation syspacted. We appreciate their
tems, etc., or for rebuilding
infrastructure needed by agriculture, with flooding that has swept across eastern patience and support as we work diligently
to resume operations and rebuild supplies."
Nebraska in recent days."
examples being roads, bridges, etc.
Mr. Bassi provided an update on March
Ardent Mills updated the situation on
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts on
21 and spoke about the need for a higher
March 19 met with Paul Taylor, regional March 21.
"Despite recent widespread flooding in levee in Hamburg.
director of the Federal Emergency Man"The water has begun to recede, and our
agement Agency, and signed and submit- eastern Nebraska, Ardent Mills Fremont
ted Nebraska's expedited request to the grain elevator continues to operate," the contingency plans are in place," he said.
federal government for disaster assistance. company said. "All of the grain housed at "Aside from the need to keep our employ"Right now it's still a little too early the elevator remains safe and dry. An as- ees and customers content, our focus is on
to tell what the full impacts will be," sessment of the facility early in the week the levee. For us to continue to be successCaroline Clements (Brauer), agricultural found flood impacts restricted only to ful, the levee must be rebuilt to a higher
promotion coordinator for the Nebraska 'boot pits' located adjacent to the elevator level. We are working closely with the city
Wheat Board and executive director of structure. This was quickly resolved with of Hamburg to support those efforts."
Bimbo Bakeries USA has two operations
the Nebraska Wheat Growers Associa- short-term pumping.
"Safety is a core value at Ardent Mills. in Nebraska, according to the 2018 Directory
tion, told Milling & Baking News on March
18. "We know there is on-farm storage of Fremont area residents are reminded to take and Buyers Guide from Sosland Publishing
grain that is under water in communities every precaution, both at home and work, as Company. A facility in Bellevue manufacand damage to infrastructure like roads they deal with the aftermath of the flooding." tures white pan, whole wheat and cracked
Rail transportation issues have created wheat bread as well as hamburger and hot
and bridges in some areas. However, to
this point efforts have been focused on logistical challenges for ADM Milling dog buns. A facility in South Sioux City
manufactures hamburger and hot dog buns.
securing the safety of human life and are Co., Overland Park, Kas.
"The combination of flooding and cold Bimbo Bakeries USA, based in Horsham,
starting to focus on livestock. As waters
weather throughout the Midwest has made Pa., the North American business of Grupo
recede, we'll likely get a clearer picture."
Denver-based Ardent Mills owns a the operating environment challenging Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V., on March 21 said the
grain elevator operation in Fremont that throughout the first quarter," said Chris- company could service its customers behas storage capacity of 1,200,000 bus, ac- topher M. Cuddy, president of Carbohy- cause roads had opened to affected towns.
"The team worked diligently before and
cording to the 2018 Grain & Milling An- drate Solutions for Chicago-based Archer
nual from Sosland Publishing Company, Daniels Midland Co., on March 18. "In during the storm to ensure seamless service
10 / March 26, 2019

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Milling & Baking News - March 26, 2019

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