Full-service agronomy retail center to open near Kimball

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KIMBALL — Iron Horse Development Co., of Kimball, and Wheat Growers, headquartered in Aberdeen, plan to build a full-service agronomy retail center near the new Liberty Grain facility between Kimball and White Lake.

The center will be on a site owned by Iron Horse Development, according to Wheat Growers spokesman Bill Pool, who said the project has been in talks for the past few years. Pool had no immediate information regarding the size and staffing needs of the agronomy center.

“We’re working that out right now,” he said.

The new center is expected to be open by the spring 2014 planting season.

“It gives us a chance to get a footprint down in that area,” Pool said. “It will allow us to install a full-service agronomy center to serve the area’s producers.”

The center will handle dry fertilizer, liquid application, precision ag services and more, Pool said.

Iron Horse announced in September that it was in the process of developing a business to serve areas near Liberty Grain.

The agronomy center will be part of a 140-acre industrial park about five miles east of Kimball and seven miles west of White Lake, said Iron Horse investor Chuck Jepson.

“We’ll have a fun time developing that park, and we’re open to ideas and proposals for development,” he said. “We want to create jobs and build new businesses for the area.”

Wheat Growers, a grain and agronomy cooperative that operates in 37 locations in 50 counties in North Dakota and South Dakota, was selected to fill those needs. Since Wheat Growers is a member-owned cooperative, all profits generated by Wheat Growers will benefit the local trade area and area growers.

Eddie Hamilton, an Iron Horse Development board member, said in a news release that Wheat Growers “has demonstrated their commitment to the farmers in South and North Dakota and has served them well,”

“They continue to demonstrate the know-how and focus needed to be successful in this local area. We are very anxious to be a part of this venture and help be a part of a premier agronomy center that focuses on technology and service for generations to come.”

Steve Briggs, senior vice president of agronomy and corporate marketing at Wheat Growers, said in the news release that “Eddie and Christine Hamilton as well as the other members of Iron Horse (Tobin Morris and Chuck Jepson) clearly laid out a vision for this site and for the area, and we wanted to be a part of that vision.”

“For growers in the area, Wheat Growers will offer the industry’s best customer experience through our people, products and attention to detail. The Kimball location fits our plans well and allows us to build on our success from nearby facilities in Chamberlain and Stickney.”

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