World Grain - April 2019 - 12

NEWSREVIEW

Massive midwestern flooding impacting crops, transportation and storage
I C
,
RASKA, U.S.
Massive flooding in the and Missouri was causing major disruptions to
S Railway
midwestern United States is causing headaches throughout service and operations in the region, said Amy Casas, director
the grain supply chain from farmers and grain storage facili- of corporate communications for
S Railway, ort Worth,
ties to transportation companies and large agribusinesses.
Texas, U.S., on March .
A major storm in mid March, coupled with large scale
Archer aniels Midland Co. said on March
that exsnow melt resulted in vast amounts of water that have treme weather was affecting its first quarter, particularly its
breached levees, pushed rivers and streams over their banks, Carbohydrates Solutions and rigination operations.
and in maha, ebraska, shut down a sewage treatment plant.
Rail transportation has been disrupted throughout the reebraska has been declared a major disaster area and crop gion our corn processing complex in Columbus, ebraska,
damage there is estimated at
million. The governor of was idled due to flooding and currently is running at reduced
Iowa has asked resident onald Trump for an expedited di- rates and unfavorable river conditions since ecember are
saster declaration for that state, where agriculture damage is severely limiting barge transportation movements and port
estimated at
million.
activities, the company said.
Manildra roup USA, eawood, Kansas, U.S., said its
Stored grains from flooded bins will be considered adulterManildra Milling facility in Hamburg, Iowa, U.S., was direct- ated by the U.S. ood and rug Administration, and any grain
ly impacted by the flooding.
above the water line will be considered suspect. This will reThe extent of the damage and longevity of the impact is quire special procedures be followed before the grain is used.
still unknown, said eal assi, president of Manildra roup
In addition, steel grain bins in the flooded areas could be
USA, on March . We intend to start operations once all damaged when wet grain swells inside, weakening bolts and
utilities have been restored and repaired to the city. irst and seams, said rad orgenson, vice president of engineering for
foremost, everyone is safe. ur primary concern is for our Chief Agri, a bin manufacturer based in Kearney, ebraska,
employees, their families and their homes, including the com- U.S.
munity and their facilities.
When it swells, it puts more load on the rings, which can
The Ardent Mills facility in remont, ebraska, U.S., also was cause bolts to shear or holes to elongate, he said. ou re goimpacted, but company officials were still assessing the damage. ing to have to go around and see if any bolts are sheared and
The ebraska epartment of Transportation, incoln, on look at the seams, where the bin sheets bolt to each other, to
March said at least bridges on the state highway system see if the sheets have moved.
have washed out or were damaged. Impacted Union acific
It s too early to predict the full extent of damage on stored
routes included railroad tracks located between remont and grain and storage facilities, said Charles Hurburgh, prorand Island, ebraska, U.S., and Missouri alley, Iowa, fessor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa
U.S. ther routes included rail lines located between alley, State University.
ebraska, U.S., and incoln, ebraska, U.S., and Council
very situation is going to be a little bit different, but in
luffs, Iowa, U.S., to Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.
a general way, there is probably going to be some damage to
Record flooding in portions of South akota, Iowa, ebraska bins, he said.
Bud Cray, longtime leader at MGPI, dies at 96
ATCHIS , KA SAS, U.S.
Cloud . ud Cray r., a
longtime leader at M
Ingredients, Inc., passed away on
eb. 7. He was years old.
A native of loomfield Hills, Michigan, U.S., Cray received
a degree in chemical engineering from the Case Institute of
Technology in Cleveland, hio, U.S. ollowing his graduation, Cray went to work for the ow Chemical Corp. In
,
he was drafted into the U.S. Army. ollowing his honorable
discharge in
, he returned to ow.
Cray joined M I then known as Midwest rain
rocessors in
7. Cray s father, Cloud . Cray Sr., had
founded M I in
. The younger Cray worked in several management positions until his promotion to president in
. He would serve as president until
, at which point
he was elevated to chairman and chief executive officer. He
would remain C
until
and chairman until
.
In
, Cray again took over the title of chairman after
a lengthy proxy battle between members of the Cray family
12

and M I management at the time. Citing a growing concern with the lack of profitable growth, deterioration in the
corporate culture, efforts to sell certain parts of the company s business, efforts to amend the bylaws that would limit
accountability to shareholders and increase the power of the
chief executive officer, and the level of compensation paid to
the chairman of the board of directors and the C
of the
company, Cray and his daughter, Karen Seaberg who is currently chairman of M I , refused to attend an annual meeting and pushed for the removal of Tim ewkirk as C .
After ewkirk was terminated as C , Cray became chairman. He was named chairman emeritus following his retirement as a director in August
.
Mr. Cray helped guide the transformation of M from an
industrial alcohol manufacturer to a leading maker of premium distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches,
M I said. As importantly, Mr. Cray was a generous resident of our headquarters community of Atchison, Kansas.
April 2019 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - April 2019

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