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“Trusted. Tested. True.”
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Chief, the precise difference by Vaughn Entwistle, Features Editor, Milling and Grain
hen Milling and Grain walked into the business offices of Chief Agri, chased inside by a cold, Kearney Nebraska wind, we were greeted with that world-famous Mid-Western hospitality by a warmly smiling receptionist. Immediately behind her desk, we noticed Chief’s mission statement emblazoned on the wall: “Our Mission: Provide unparalleled personal attention to meeting the needs of our customers while treating all stakeholders with dignity and respect, thereby ensuring our strength and stability.” Quite a mouthful, you might think at first. However, as you read the words back two or three times, the power of the sentiment begins to sink in. Later, when Milling and Grain sat down with Sales System Manager, Travys Woodside, and Marketing Coordinator, Christa Britton, we learned more about Chief’s business ethos and just how meaningful these words are. “Everyone at the company can recite the mission statement,” Britton explained, “because it’s that important to us.”
have now consolidated down to seven divisions that we feel can take us forward. Chief Agri was formed in 1961.” Chief Agri currently manufactures a comprehensive variety of grain handling and storage systems including grain driers, bucket elevators, aeration systems, commercial hopper tanks, grain management systems, its range of stiffened and unstiffened farm bins, and the Chief Lamenco square bolted bin systems. “We have our head office in Kearney and an office in Grand Island. And then we own two other facilities in the USA, one in Hastings and one in Lexington.” Woodside said. “Chief construction has grown 400 percent in the last five years. And in addition, we own our own trucking company—Chief Carriers—to make sure we can get product where we need it to be.”
A long tradition of customer service
The market is full of companies manufacturing silos, but Chief silos sell because of their reputation for excellent engineering and premium quality. Simply put, the strength of the company is largely a reflection of the strength of its silos, and Chief is famous for the surpassing strength of its bin roofs, which are engineered to provide additional storage capacity and easier access for loading the grain.
Chief is a company that proudly wears its engineering heritage on its sleeve. If you had any doubt of that, you only had to look at the Indian head Chief logo: “Chief started in 1954,” Woodside said. “To commemorate that, all of the angles in our logo are at a 19.54 degree angle. We began as a construction company founded by Virgil I. Heusen. The company grew into 14 divisions and we 96 | May 2018 - Milling and Grain
Leading logistics—Managing the customer’s order from factory to site
Owning their own trucking company is a huge advantage for Chief in ensuring that their products arrive on time and undamaged at a construction site—and with a complete assemblage of parts. For international shipping, Chief partners with Warner Enterprises, another highly reputable company with a solid reputation.
Engineered for strength and longevity