High
Flyer
“The road to success is always under construction”
— Arnold Palmer
. . . . . and Topflight Grain is under construction! The leg was moved at Pierson
At Pierson
Lowering the catwalk
The new “power room” takes shape at Milmine.
At Milmine
Beginning the new 135’ diameter bin at Milmine, digging for the foundation.
Foundation work began for the new bin
Concrete was poured for the walls of the foundation
At Emery
Concrete was poured for the foundation and the MCC (Master Control Center) room
JUNE 2015
See related articles: Scott - Page 2 Jeremy - Page 5 Jon - Page 5 Gloria - Page 6 Derrick - Page 8 Andy - Page 11
888-762-2163 | topflightgrain.com JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 1
lion bushels of storage to our grain handling system. As you can see, we are pouring money back into our facilities to help service our patrons’ accounts. My wife, Denise, and I are empty nesters again (Dillon moved home and now is gone again). Serge and his wife, Lindsey, are still in Macomb IL. Our grandson, Blaine, turned 3 years old in April and is a real joy to be around. Dillon is working in Skagway, Alaska, again this summer. Annie is finishing her sophomore year at ISU, Bloomington IL. Denise has spent a lot of time in Washington, IA the past 6 months, moving her Dad into assisted living. I am looking forward to warmer weather and spending more time outside the office, working in the yard and grilling. Enjoy your summer and Thank You for your business.
ONE GIANT STEP FOR TOPFLIGHT
(thumbnail of Scott Docherty)
ऀ By Scott Docherty, General Manager
by Scott Docherty, General Manager
ऀ Agriculture is a cyclical business and we are entering the historically low end of the commodity cycle over the next 6-12 months. Below is the average price paid to our customers for griculture is a cyclical business and we are entering the historically low end of the commodity cycle corn and soybeans over the past few years as shown in our benchmarking model…
A
over the next 6-12 months. Below is the average price paid to our customers for corn and soybeans over the past few years as shown in our benchmarking model…
Grain Marketing
Topflight Grain Co-op Grain Price Benchmarking Grain price Benchmarking provides you with a common, constant, and accurate price to measure and compare to when evaluating marketing opportunities and decisions. 5/4/2015
CORN*
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
TFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG Avg Gr ai n Cust omer Gr ai n Cust ome r Gr a i n Cust omer Gr ai n Cust ome r Gr ai n Cust omer Gr a i n Cust ome r Gr ai n Cust omer
Averages
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
$3.60
$3.62
$5.14
$4.84
$6.28
$6.11
$6.50
$7.15
$4.77
$4.46
$3.93
$3.62
$3.80
$3.86
Tot al : 30 , 607, 954bu Tot al :25 , 951 , 292bu Tot al :24, 71 6, 380bu Tot al :1 7, 848, 266bu Tot a l :2 6, 606, 501bu
SOYBEANS*
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
TFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG AvgTFG Avg Gr ai n Cust omer Gr ai n Cust ome r Gr a i n Cust omer Gr ai n Cust ome r Gr ai n Cust omer Gr a i n Cust ome r Gr ai n Cust omer
Averages
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
Bi ds
pr i ci ng
$9.43
$9.77
$11.24
$11.33
$13.15
$12.63
$14.09
$14.57
$13.08
$13.07
$10.62
$10.21
$9.48
$9.77
Tot al :5, 306 , 875bu To t al :6, 778, 59 9buTot al :4, 783, 85 1buTo t al :4, 91 8, 1 35buTot al :5, 892, 937bu
row crop production and income we continue to see ever increasing yields produced ऀ The Thecycle cycleforfor row crop production and income does not completely align with income levels does not completely align with income levels for from our customers, Topflight needs to continue for grain elevators. Because of the changes in crop insurance offerings, most would agree, and grain elevators. Because of the changes in crop building our receiving, drying and storage capacihave told me, that 2012 was the best financial year most of you have ever had in your farming insurance offerings, most would agree, and have ties and we are taking a big step in that direction in career. This was not the case for grain elevators, as two thirds of all grain companies in Illinois told me, that 2012 was the best financial year most 2015. Here are a few of our upgrades and improvewere in the red following the 2012 crop year. The lower grain prices have put pressure on farm of you have ever had in your farming career. This ments: income levels not seen for 5-6 years, and it does not look promising in the year to come. On the was not the case for grain elevators, as two thirds of Emery- another 105 foot diameter tank. United flip side,companies Topflight in Grain is having much better year financially because of thearecord 2014 all grain Illinois were in athe red followPrairie is also going to build new full service facilharvest and crop with year. a good start to the 2015 crop. We hope to see another big grain crop harvested thisfuture, fall. ing the 2012 The lower grain prices have ity directly west of the facility. In the ऀ The market annot inverted market a carry market, which again there is put pressure on has farmmoved incomefrom levels seen for 5-6 towe will also be developing newmeans inbound/outbound ample supply of stocks and also means lower commodity prices in the US and around the world. years, and it does not look promising in the year to scales. Because to see ever increasing produced fromour ourfirst customers, needs come. On we thecontinue flip side, Topflight Grain is havingyields a Milmine135 foot Topflight diameter GSI tank to continue building our receiving, drying and storage capacities and we are taking a big step in much better year financially because of the record with a capacity of 1,150,000 bushels. We also have that direction in 2015. Here aretoathe few2015 of our upgrades and to improvements: 2014 harvest. With a good start crop, we plans expand our bean complex with a 90 foot • Emeryanother 105 foot diameter tank and United hope to see another big crop harvested this fall. diameter tank.Prairie is also going to build a new full service directly the grainafacility. In the future, willreceivThe market has moved from anfacility inverted marketwest of Piersonnew 18,000 bushel perwe hour also be developing new inbound/outbound scales. to a carry market, which again means there is ample ing leg, tower, spouting, pit conveyor and another • Milmineour first 135 foot diameter GSI tank with a capacity 1,150,000 supply of stocks and also means lower commod34 ring-105 foot diameterof corn tank with a 740,000 bushels. We also plans to expandbushel our bean complex a 90 foot diameter ity prices in the US and around thehave world. Because capacity. We with are also constructing a new out tank. • a new 18,000 bushel per hour receiving leg, tower, spouting, pit conveyor 2 JUNE 2015 /Piersontopflight newsletter and another 34 ring-105 foot diameter corn tank with a 740,000 bushel capacity.
Scott, Denise, Serge, Blaine & Lindsey bound scale with a remote printer. This should really improve the dumping times at Pierson. Atwood- plans to replace the old Deluxe dryer with a new 4750 Zimmerman tower dryer. We will need to update the wet and dry legs also with this project. Beason-plans on replacing the old scale with a new 12 X 70 foot truck scale Johnston Siding- updating fill conveyors on the concrete house Kruger- adding a fill conveyor to concrete house Topflight Grain has currently reached our maximum electric load at many of our facilities, so we will be adding new electric upgrades at many of our facilities, which on these projects listed will be well over $1.0 million. Our plans are aggressive and we have a lot of work ahead of us in the next 4 months to be ready for harvest. These projects will add over 3.0 mil-
Dillon, Denise, Annie, & Scott
JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 3
NEWS FROM ATLANTA
RECAP OF FISCAL 2015 by Jeremy Welch, Controller
by Jeremy Flener, Atlanta Operations Superintendent
I
know it is well past harvest to still be reflecting on it but, what a crop?! It was the largest I have seen in my few years in the grain business, and no better time for a much needed makeover in Atlanta. The new bin, new dump shed, and tear down of the old wooden crib made for a busy summer. Whew!
The new dump shed in Atlanta
“I remember the lumber being hand unloaded off the rail cars from the (rail) siding” one gentlemen recalled. “I was working here when they replaced the old wooden dump ramp with concrete”, another gentlemen shared. There was also the heated “discussion” when the concrete bins were constructed. I still chuckle how both men remember the same event so differently, standing firm on their version, to the point that one gentleman left abruptly. Memories! The rain that watered the bumper crop didn’t exactly do us any favors during construction. Customers would stop by at times asking “Will it be ready by harvest? You are going to need it to fit this crop.” We were over a week into harvest before we were able to put grain in the new bin. I was definitely nervous. The rain returned and slowed harvest to a snail’s pace at times. Half way through harvest I began to worry if we would fill the new bin, but fill it we did, and then some! Thank goodness for the bunker at Johnston Siding for giving us some breathing room to finish harvest. Can’t wait for next harvest. New position, new construction, new extended family through the merger; not a bad first year as an Elevator Superintendent.
Inside the new dump shed We had a few old timers stop by, while the crib was being demolished, to share stories of seeing it built, along with the changes to the elevator through the years.
4 JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter
The new bin at Atlanta
F
iscal Year 2015 is drawing to a close and most likely will have ended by the time you read this. We started the year with bin projects in Pierson and Monticello already in progress. In addition to the new 105’ bin, Monticello also added a new dryer along with conveyor and legging upgrades. As crews were putting the finishing touches on projects ahead of the record harvest, we were welcoming our new patrons from East Lincoln Farmers Grain. Heavy shipping, along with new and temporary storage, allowed Topflight to handle the bushels through harvest. Shipping volumes remained elevated from December through April,
capturing good margins and creating space to move temporary outside storage under roof. New projects began in April 2015 for Pierson, Emery, and Milmine as we continue to leverage our strong balance sheet to upgrade infrastructure and add storage. All projects are projected to be completed prior to September and will be fully utilized for the 2015 harvest. We are projecting solid earnings as we close out the fiscal year on May 31st and look forward to sharing those results later in August. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable summer.
BUSY OFFSEASON! by Jon Carr, Milmine Branch Manager/Grain Originator
G
reetings from Milmine! After a record harvest we have been busy picking up ground piles and shipping grain to the processors. Since the end of the 2014 harvest through May 1st, we have loaded six 50 car corn trains, eight 75 car corn trains, and three 50 car bean trains in Milmine. That’s nearly 3,500,000 bushels of corn and 500,000 bushels of beans. There was so much corn around last fall that we had to start an emergency pile behind the office. We estimated there was around 600,000 bushels of corn put on top of the grass with nothing to cover it! Luckily we were able to load out a few trains in late November and early December; this made enough room in our bins to fit the emergency pile inside. By mid-December, it was all picked up with minimal damage done to the grain. After load-
ing out several more corn trains, we began picking up our covered ground pile in March. What we call ‘the ring’ stores approximately one million bushels of corn. With two back-up augers and four trucks, we were able to get it all inside in just 10 days! At this time, the farmers are back in the fields to plant their 2015 crop. Topflight Grain will be adding additional upright storage at several locations this year. Here in Milmine, Paul’s Machine out of Villa Grove, is constructing a 135’ diameter bin to the west of our existing bins that will hold over 1,100,000 bushels of corn. They will also be adding a 90’ diameter bin to the south of our concrete elevator that will hold 500,000 bushels of soybeans. Hopefully, with these additions, we won’t be putting corn behind the office here anytime soon! JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 5
SMOOTH PLANTING SEASON
BUSY IN BEMENT
by Denny Hill, Maroa Location Manager & Location Manager
T
he 2015 crop year is getting off to a good start with most of the corn in the ground by the 25th of April and no ponds to plant around in our area. The weather has turned much warmer and several farmers have planted beans and the calendar has just turned to May. I’ve had a couple of farmers say they haven’t worked any weekends in April as they have had time to finish what they were doing during the week. Prices seem to be the biggest concern as we move into another growing season, and after the last couple of weeks of April, it is obvious the market doesn’t care about historically cheap grain prices or signs of better demand and oversold technical indicators. The only thing that matters at this point in time, is rain and so far, that is putting a bearish outlook on grains. Not only is the good weather in the U.S., but most of the world’s best agricultural areas are also seeing favorable weather conditions. As long as this trend continues, most buyers will
stay on the sidelines, and this will continue to put pressure on prices. Since the record harvest last fall, Dan Greer and Gary Liggett have been busy picking up corn off the ground and shipping corn and beans to Decatur. We had around 500,000 bushels of corn in our bunker that was tarped and another 225,000 on the ground untarped. Jack Warren, the Central Region Supervisor, spent many days over here helping the guys get the corn picked up in a timely manner. As we head into the summer months, we still have a million bushels of corn to get to Decatur; but we have delivered all of our beans to Decatur. Grain from off the farm has slowed since the farmers have been in the field, but we have taken in over 400,000 bushels since harvest ended and probably have another 150,000 to come in this summer when the farmers decide to empty their bins. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!
PIERSON by Gloria Litwiller, Pierson Branch Manager/Grain Originator
G
REAT, YAH, YAHOO, CARAMBA…. What do these words and I have in common? I’m excited about our new updates at Pierson and these words express excitement. We are updating with a bigger leg, a new 105’ bin and an outbound scale. The impact this will have on Pierson during harvest is unimaginable; however, I’m excited and ready to find out. The destruction and construction
6 JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter
of the leg project is underway. The bin and scale will start shortly. Hilary is getting married July 11th. She will be Mrs. Nicholas Holdinghausen. They are settling in Marion in the house they purchased this fall. Michael and Andrew continue to play hockey. Stacey ran a 5K despite her MS and is planning to run another in May.
by Pam Jarboe, Assistant Manager
A
s we finish up details of this newsletter, we’re so excited to get it out to you. We love sharing news and pictures with you. If you have news or pictures you’d like to share with your fellow Topflight Grain stockholders, please email them to me at pjarboe@topflightgrain.com, or take them to your local TFG office and your location manager will forward them to me. In this newsletter, you’ll read about one elevator torn down, one elevator fire, and lots of elevator construction. Our staff has been busy picking up ground piles, emptying bins, loading trucks and trains, and will soon be collecting information for the end of the fiscal year. The financial reports will be reported at the annual meeting, which has changed this year. We will meet at the Cisco Center on August 13 at 9:00 am. This year is the earliest that the Bement bean flat has been empty before it was 110 degrees. We’re also just about out of corn. Jim, Paul, and others have been busy loading out trains and trucks and sweeping bins. Then it’s time to sweep and clean, and of course, keep the grass mowed and weeds killed. Henry, Brian, Stason, & Paul go wherever help is needed. They’re on train crews, bin clean-out crews, Shacks clean-up and load-out crews, and many other places. Martin has been working on safety projects in the TFGWest group. Rob & Roger are everywhere we need maintenance work. (I asked Roger for help on a project and he said his list was so long it would be 6 years before he could get to it – he plans to be retired in 6 years!) Steve gets in the semi every day, and hauls grain from our elevators to processors, or within the company. He and Henry are also our track-mobile movers, hauling the units to the next elevator loading out by rail. Andy has been attending several meetings learn-
ing about marketing, crop insurance and the grain business. He “volunteered” to help me with the Old Glory tractor show on June 13, in Bement. We’re also planning a tractor drive prior to the show line up. If you have any old tractors, we’d love to have them in the tractor show and the tractor drive. Just call Andy or me, and we’ll give you all the details! We also spent about a week, working with Evan Brewbaker as he begins his job as branch manager at Seymour. This spring, we proudly attended my niece’s convocation, as she graduated from U of I Medical School at Rockford. Later this summer, we’re looking forward to my aunt & uncle’s visit as they come “home” to Illinois from New Mexico, and some of our cousins as they come from other states. We’ll probably find time for a few more family get-togethers, too. And Rodd, we still use our Tupperware salt & pepper shakers!
Dan & I with our niece, Dr. Katherine Chenoweth JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 7
GREAT DEMAND!!
FROM THE WEST
by Todd Steinberg, Western Region Division Manager
by Derrick Bruhn, Merchandiser
W
e raised some of the largest crops on record in the Midwest, but yet basis has continued to be strong. It has been a few years since we had large carry outs, but typically you have wide basis when there are large carry outs. Because of the very strong demand for corn and beans, and the farmer’s lack of selling in some areas, we have seen better than expected basis values this winter and spring. Ethanol demand for corn is still expected to be 5.2 mil bu and we have seen some export demand for US corn. The bean demand has been battling between exports and domestic crushing. Each sector is estimated to use 1.790-1.795 mil bu this year. Our producers have done a great job of taking advantage of rallies and are not holding much of the 2014 crop. Many areas are running into logistical issues because the farmer is unwilling to sell the grain which causes the elevator to carry large inventories into the summer. The risk is that if the farmer continues to hold the grain, there won’t be enough time to Mylin & Mabry, on Valentine’s Day move the grain before harvest. If we have a good growing season, it could be a disaster in some areas to handle the new grain coming in with the limited space issues
8 JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter
caused from last harvest. Topflight continues to take earnings and invest in facilities for the benefit of its patrons. This year we have multiple projects that will allow us to handle the crop in a more efficient manner. The main area of focus with the projects was storage. With the large 2014 crop, we continue to see the need for additional storage at Topflight. This additional storage will reduce the risk for Topflight by not piling as much corn in temporary storage. It will also reduce the amount of grain that will need to move during harvest. These are all good things for the stockholders. Lynne and the girls are counting down the days until summer break so they can enjoy the time together. We had a busy winter with both girls swimming on the Clinton Otter’s swim team and playing basketball at the YMCA in Champaign. Needless to say, my days of big winter projects have slowed, as we always seem to be running the girls to their next event. Mabry is playing softball this summer with the Monticello Magic and Mylin is playing Monticello rec league softball. For now we only have one sport, but when school gets out they will Mylin, Derrick & Mabry, start summer swim at Easter for the Monticello Marlins. Lynne continues to work on her master’s degree in her “spare” time. Have a Great Summer!!
H
ere we go again! This will be my 2nd newsletter article since joining the Topflight team. By the time this is sent out towards the end of May, the crops should be growing really well and harvest planning will already have begun. This time of year finds us taking a look at fall storage alternatives, and discussing grain movement issues, while analyzing past history and planning improvements for the future. Our company goals are to make the best usage of the assets we have, and to provide the best possible customer service we can. By doing this, we all are on the winning team. Since I started last July, there has been plenty going on! First was the merger vote, then came the harvest that produced great yields! The operations side of harvest was impressive as well, with dedicated and experienced staff. Then we merged software… and as software implementation goes, it usually never goes off without a glitch! This was no exception to that! We had our fair share of glitches and kinks to work out, but it was completed thanks to the patience and help from others. It’s all good! In addition, Topflight marketing programs were offered for the first time in our area. So again, it has been a good, but busy almost first year. Before you know it, we will be doing the crop tour and it will be the Western Division’s second harvest since joining Topflight. Time flies and I am enjoying every minute! I would like to take the opportunity to thank the staff in the Western Division. I just couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with. They are loyal and committed to the company and the patrons that we serve. They want to do a good job and they care that it is done the right way. I appreciate them very much. As for the personal side, we have celebrated our granddaughter Zoey’s 1st birthday! Beau is 1 ½ and Bradley is 2. Being a grandpa is great!! Now if
we could just stop the clock. My wife, Kathy, and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. We are trying to put together a schedule of activities that we want to do or places we want to go this summer. So it will be another active year! We are so thankful for everything that has been granted to us. Enjoy your summer everyone, and if there is anything that you need, that you think I can assist with, please give me a call.
Our grandson Beau & Ollie
Our grandkids, Bradley & Zoey JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 9
S&H GREEN STAMPS by Rodd Runyen, Accountant
W
hen I get on the Internet and go to Facebook, I see many posts by my family, friends, and other individuals. Some of the posts that catch my eye are the ones that read, “Do you remember these”? It shows a picture of an object that was popular at one time, but is now long gone. Many of the items I recognize and know exactly what they were and what they were used for. These items always bring back memories of a simpler time. I have seen the old metal jungle gyms that used to dot playgrounds at schools and parks all across the country posted on there. They were built in squares for climbing on and seemed to have the old metal monkey bars nearby. But many of these are now gone and have been replaced with wooden or plastic structures. Also posted are the old metal slides that you climbed the high ladder to go down. Of course, it was always more fun to go down on a sheet of waxed paper! And you didn’t want to be wearing shorts on a bright sunny day on those old slides! These, of course, remind me of the school playground at Oreana Grade School, but they also remind me of the playground at Weldon Springs State Park near Clinton. We used to camp there when we were kids and played on that playground equipment many times. That is where we did the wax paper and would fly down that slide! It was a lot of fun, but those slides have long ago been replaced with shorter, safer slides. I also saw the white Tupperware salt and pepper shakers that had the big S and P on them in gold lettering. My parents had a set of those in their Shasta trailer that we went camping in almost every weekend. We would camp, fish, and visit with friends and family. What I would give to go camping with them all again. I have also seen pictures of the aluminum metal drinking glasses that came in different colors, S&H
10 JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter
green stamps, the Woolworth’s counter, and a hand held dough blender. All of these items bring back great memories with my Grandma Darnall. I can still feel and taste the cold of the drink coming out of that dark green aluminum glass that I always chose to drink out of at her house. I remember it like yesterday, collecting the S&H green stamps from the Union 76 station at Greenswitch and Route 48. We would save them, and lick and paste them into books. Once the books were filled, you could send them off to S&H to purchase items from their catalog. I also remember shopping with Grandma at Woolworth’s in the Brettwood Shopping Center in Decatur, which had a lunch counter. The lunch counter was by the checkout lane and you could always get something to eat or drink there. And of course, I remember the hand held dough blender. It had a red wooden handle and metal “wires”. We used it countless times to mix the flour and the other ingredients into dough to make cookies at Christmastime for all of the family to enjoy. This item I actually have displayed in my kitchen today. Again, what I would give to go back and do it all again. Other items I have seen on Facebook pages have included a rotary phone, cigarette vending machines, a car window crank handle, a crank pencil sharpener, the car’s headlight dimmer switch that was located on the floorboard, a case of returnable pop bottles, an 8 track player, a bottle of Mecuricome, a can pull tab, a 3D View Master, candy cigarettes, a record player and records, and a phone booth. If you showed pictures of these items to kids
today, most would have no clue what they are looking at. It is amazing how fast technology and society keeps things changing. These changes have also occurred in farming. It’s amazing to see how much tractors, combines, equipment, and trucks have changed in the last 50 years. Yield potential continues to increase with new seed technology. “Walking beans” is almost unheard of anymore with the advancement in herbicides.
Cows, chickens, goats, and horses are no longer a part of the family farm. Where many farm houses used to stand are now grass lots or plowed under. Fence rows have been removed and plowed under. The family farm of yesteryear is different than that of today. So too, along with these changes, we change. As we get older, we look back on some of these changes with fond memories. Some of these items we might still like to have, but for the most part, the advances have been positive. And today’s younger generation looks at today’s technologies and wonders how did we ever survive without them! And as we reflect back on those days and today, one thing is pretty clear. In the not-so-distant future, folks will look back on today’s technologies and items, and they will be amazed at how many are gone or have changed. As they say, time keeps on a changin’.
NEWS FROM THE SOUTH
by Andy Parsons, Southern Regional Operations Manager
T
he big news this spring in the south region is the new construction that is going on in Pierson. Pierson is getting a new 105’ diameter
GSI bin with a capacity of 740,000 bushels. They are also replacing an old 10,000 bushel/hour receiving leg with a 20,000 bushel/hour leg. These upgrades should really help speed things up during harvest. In Atwood, Bill Dirks has been busy this winter shipping corn and beans to Decatur and shipping the last of his wheat to Seimers in Teutopolis. In Laplace, Mark Albert and his part-time help, Duane, were able to get all of their beans shipped and bins cleaned out this winter, so they are now concentrating on blending and shipping corn. That’s all of the news I have from the south region. I hope everyone has a safe planting season.
JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 11
BUNKERS & GROUND PILES
HOW TO GET $5.00 CORN
by Jack Warren, Central Region Operations Manager
by Jim Rear, Monticello Grain Originator
W
ell, now that I have your attention, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Jim Rear, and I started with Topflight in October as the Grain Originator for Monticello. I grew up in Champaign, Illinois, and graduated from the University of Illinois in Agribusiness. After graduation, I worked with Consolidated Grain and Barge in Cahokia, IL in operations management, grain origination and finally a facility manager in Benton, IL. Since making the move to Topflight, I have been busy meeting customers and fellow employees, learning software, and marketing programs. Every day, I feel like I am learning something new and challenging myself in the grain industry. A change in my career is not the only exciting thing that has happened to me this year! This last Valentine’s Day I was able to convince my girlfriend, Janelle, of 2.5 years to be my wife. We are hopefully going to get married next summer, if she doesn’t wise up! Janelle just graduated the Nursing Program last December and has been working in Carle’s ER for just over a month now. She loves every minute of it, and I am so glad she is able to work at such a great hospital. We don’t My fiancé, Janelle & Me have
12 JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter
any kids yet but we are both enjoying the third member of our family, Diesel! Just over a year now, Diesel is growing quickly weighing around 85 lbs. He enjoys messing up my garage, escaping our back yard, and stepping directly on my feet first thing every morning. Working for TopThe third member of our flight has not only family, Diesel. given me opportunities in my career, but also has allowed me to be closer to both mine and Janelle’s family! My parents, Steve and Theresa, both live in Champaign and have retirement in the crosshairs. My father, in his free time, is the baseball coach for St. Thomas More High School, and my mother stays busy interpreting for the deaf. My older sister, Lori, works for Health Alliance and stays busy keeping my two nieces and nephew in line; the second nephew is on his way! My older brother, John, works as a commercial lender for Busey Bank in Champaign and is in the process of getting his CPA. Along with my immediate family, I have my five other family members in Champaign to fill up the holiday tables. Janelle’s family is more based in the Cissna Park, IL, area, but has no problem filling space at family functions, as she is one of fourteen! We both are very thankful to be back home. I also would like to thank all our Topflight customers and fellow employees for offering me a warm welcome and patience as I embark on my new role.
L
ong hours and a frantic pace is always the norm every harvest. Looking for ways to make the shipping and receiving of grain is always a challenge. And with the 2014 yields our local producers enjoyed, it was, at times, especially challenging. With the coordination of logistics between the Operations Manager, Merchandising Manager and the Trucking Dispatcher, we were able to keep the flow of grain both inbound and outbound going, and, for the most part, keep our doors and pits open. It was a monumental task considering that Topflight’s Central Region alone received 10,360,578 bushels of corn and 2,303,988 bushels of beans! At Cisco, we have the advantage of our private rail and shipped close to 1,500,000 bushels of corn during harvest. Thanks to Randy Bennett and his crew from Pioneer Rail, we had at least two trains a week to load all fall.
At Emery, we took advantage of our bunker and a ground pile for the surplus of corn that we could not ship. With a total of 1,160,000 bushels, both were picked up in good time with no loss. We also transferred some beans to our Waller bin site to make some bean space available. At Maroa, we had the advantage there also of a bunker and ground pile for surplus corn that we could not ship. With a total of 725,000 bushels, both were picked up in good time with no loss. Maroa also transferred beans to the Waller bin site for added bean space. As your local Coop looks forward, we are doing our best to keep pace with this amazingly fast changing industry. By upgrading equipment and adding storage at key locations, your Topflight Grain Company is always prepared and looking forward to another harvest.
AMENIA
The Amenia grain elevator?? It certainly got our attention when we heard it was on fire! The Amenia elevator caught fire on April 15, burning the wood
structures, leaving the 2 concrete tanks. It was located on old Route 47, between Cisco and Monticello. According to the Piatt County Museum, “The Allerton’s private elevator was named Amenia after Samuel Allerton’s hometown in upstate New York. It was built in 1912 by Burrill Engineering and Construction of Chicago. The wooden elevator was capable of storing 50,000 bushels of corn. Inside the elevator was a “man lift” that could carry a farmer up to the top of the bins. There were double drivethrough doors at the front and rear of the elevator. A railroad track ran along the north side of the elevator, and the Allertons had their own siding that was long enough to accommodate two complete livestock trains.” JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 13
FALL & SUMMER
by Vanessa Stinson, LaPlace Branch Manager/Grain Originator
I
forgot when the last time was that we had a newsletter article. The Laplace facility has been busy this winter and spring moving grain out to processors and taking in grain from the farm. The planting season is in full force around here; by this time we should have corn planted and beans on the downhill slide. Now all we do is sit back and wait for Mother Nature to work her magic.
forward to a lot of good times with them all this summer. We hope all of you have a wonderful summer and a prosperous fall.
Jack Agee Mary Jane Anderson Patricia Appleby Kathryn Beckhart John Franklin Brown Carl John Butler
Nadean Gambrel Cathy Gerard Edwin Good Jim Hackett Evelyn Hale Michael Horve Pam Trump Jones Darlene Kerns Mildred Kinert
Dean Carroll Brynnan, Chloe & Brogan
Terry Lieb
Brynnan & Brogan I would like to thank all of the excellent help we had last fall, Phyllis Lehman, Sue Crawford, Renee Beebe and Callie Wildman and outside Duane Boyd, Dean Fowler, Tim Wright, Kenny Ross, and Corey Miner. Sorry if I missed someone. Hope to see some of you back this fall. Our family is doing well. The oldest granddaughter, Chloe, just celebrated her 9th birthday. Mr. Brogan will be 2 in mid-June and Ms. Brynnan will be 4 in August. Where does the time go? We are looking
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Ralph Clark
Floyd Veteto takes his outbound ticket from Phyliss Lehman, as Floyd hauls out of the LaPlace elevator
Edwin Dahmm Kerby Damery Dean Dawson Gene Dixon Janice Doak Big Ron Eagan Evelyn Fisher
Betty Litwiller Danny Manning Jean Martin Beverly McDade William Meyer Iris Moore
Knox Morton Norman Muck Bonnie Neff Jim Powers Hoyle Puckett Gloria Rucker Danny Schick Gert Siders Tammy Stierwalt Loralie Tangy Nathan Tutko Marjorie Wallace Ervin “Jr� Wildman Kathryn J. Disbrow
. . . . And all others who have lost loved ones.
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Our Congratulations to ... Norman & Mary Ross, both celebrating their 70th birthdays this year: Mary in January and Norman in March; Gabrielle Brix, named Illinois State Scholar from Argenta-Oreana;
Our Congratulations to ... Matthew Norvell, chosen as Monticello High School Student of the Month in February;
Braden Fogerson, champion of the Bement Elementary and Middle School Spelling Bee; Leo Kinsella placed 2nd in the contest; Braden went on to win the Piatt County Spelling Bee;
John & Kathy Terril, married 50 years in February; Norman Snoke, 80 years old on February 15; Nick Appleby, named to the Dean’s List at EIU; Rebekah Seevers, named to the Dean’s List at Quincy University; Morgan Casteel, chosen as 2015 Little Miss Lovington; Megan Magsamen, signing a letter of intent to play softball with Parkland College;
Bobby Bright, joining the Honor Flight to Washington DC in May;
Dr. Mary Ayers, hooded by her father, Dr. Robert Ayers, at U of I Medical School in Rockford; Billy & Norma Jean McPheron, celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on March 5 (She also said she LOVES getting the High Flyer!)
Gary & Marcia Burns, married 50 years in May; Ron Meece, securing a $2500 donation from Monsanto, for the Piatt County Faith in Action Paige Shull, who teamed up with a small group of other 5th graders and wrote a story about a weather forecast in script form called, “Universal Weather.” That story was one of the stories chosen to be acted out by The Child’s Play Touring Theater from Chicago; Alyssa Hendrix & Anna Hendrix, named to the Dean’s List at SIU-C; Bob & Phyllis Taylor, married 70 years, in March; Roberta Larimore, celebrating her 90th birthday in February; River Morris Shelton, born in January; his proud parents are Devin & Megan Shelton; proud grandparents are Dave & Connie Thompson; proud greatgrandmother is Dorothy (Morris) Hausmann;
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Laddie Wright, Max Moore, and Harold Ard Laddie & Harold, representing Albert Parker Post #610- Bement American Legion, presented Max Moore with a 70 year membership award. Max joined the service at the age of 17, going to active duty when he was 18. He joined the American Legion at the age of 20. Others recognized for their 70 years this year were Ralph Clark and Bob Jones.
Jeremy & Sarah Jones, proud parents of Aubree Mae, born in April; proud grandparents are Chuck & Joyce Hendrix and Jeff & Lori Jones; proud great-grandparents are Joan Hendrix and Wayne Bonnell; Nathan Rose on the SIU Chancellor’s Scholarship. Nathan is the son of Mike and Kelly Rose and attended Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond (ALHA) School. This scholarship is given to the students who are high achieving and have demonstrated leadership skills. The student must pass an essay and a special competitive interview, which is held on campus during SIU Chancellor’s and Universities Excellence Scholarship Interview Weekend. This is an excellent opportunity and achievement for Nathan.
The Hanes boys, excited to see Baby Sister Abigail Elizabeth, born on April 29; proud parents are Andrew & Lindsey Hanes; proud grandparents are Richard & Cinda Hanes and Jim & Mary Fisher; proud great-grandparents are Jack & Anne Fisher;
Patrick & Mollie Lubbers, proud parents of Edward Cole; proud grandparents are Tom & Debbie Loftus; proud great-grandmother is Mary Loftus; proud great-grandparents are Frank & Pat Lubbers; JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 17
Remember With Us .... It’s spring ... PLAY BALL!!!! We’re digging up old baseball/ softball pictures, as so many of us spent our summers on teams, or cheering for our favorite teams. Our thoughts turned toward baseball when Chalmer Hinton told the story of the Cardinal players coming to Bement, each fall to visit with the community. Famous Cardinal players included Enos Slaughter, Leo Ward, Red Schoendienst, Del Rice, and Stan Musial and Chicago Cub catcher Joe Garagiola. These men would come to the Kratz farm near Monticello, in the early 1950’s, to hunt pheasants as hunting season opened up each November. During their visit, they would enjoy supper with the Bement Little League, teenage & grade school baseball squad, telling stories, answering questions and signing autographs. The evening was sponsored by the Bement Lions Club, who continues to sponsor baseball & softball activities in Bement. After that story, Sherryl & Roger Young dug out some of their old softball/baseball/fastpitch pictures, Jim shared his book on Cerro Gordo & Oakley mens fastpitch softball, written by Mike Martin, and we dug out a few more old photos. It’s been a fun trip down memory lane. We hope it encourages you to watch a few ballgames this summer.
The Lingafelter Girls Softball team, from 1980: Back row: Darrell Timmons, Rita Roosevelt, Sherryl (Lingafelter) Young, Sheri Galloway, Sandy Yokley, Teresa (Deal) McCool, Diane Budde, Carol Jones Front Row: June Lingafelter, Janice Timmons, Becky Benson, Julie Bean, Alisa Collins, Peggy Moore, Jeanette Budde
Sherryl Young and her mom June Lingafelter, played softball together. Sherryl’s dad sponsored the team, as well as sponsored the LIngafelter’s A and AA fastpitch teams. June was the pitcher for the ladies team; Sherryl played center field.
Taken from “The History of Cerro Gordo and Oakley Mens Fastpitch Softball” by Mike Martin:
The 1977 Lingafelters
1984 Roster
Do you remember Fans Field, in Decatur? It was located at East Garfield and North Woodford Streets. Opening day was May 5, 1927, with 7000 people in attendance. It was home to the Decatur Commodores, a professional minor league baseball team.
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Our Congratulations to ... Sam & Kim Brandenburg, proud parents of Caden, and big brother, Colin; proud grandparents are Sam & Rosie Brandenburg; proud great-grandmother is Naomi Brandenburg; Autumn Runyen, placing 1st in Piatt County and 3rd in the State for her poster for the American Legion Poppy Poster Contest; All of our Trivia contest winners; Phil England proudly wears his T-shirt on the beaches (and elsewhere) in Ft Myers, Sanibel Island, Daytona, and Key Largo, and all the beaches in North Carolina;
Ryan Hendrix, Mutual of Omaha Illinois Division Agent of the Year; Eric Briggs, new agronomy salesman for United Prairie at Emery.
FOCUS MEETING A great crowd gathered at the two Focus meetings held this winter, to learn about the markets, crop insurance, facility updates and company finances. We met in Bement on February 10th and again in Lincoln that afternoon. Both meetings were well attended, much information was presented, questions were asked and opinions were shared.
HONOR FLIGHT
We welcome home Bobby & Steve Bright, from the Honor Flight in May. They returned totally exhausted, but with memories for the rest of their lives. Everything was well organized and their trip went like ‘clockwork’. They visited all of the War Memorials, Arlington National Cemetery to watch the changing of the guard ceremony, the Air and Space Museum, and numerous other historical sites were seen while traveling around Washington, D.C. in their tour buses. Their flight was made up of 11 W.W. II Veterans and the rest were Korean War Veterans. They
were at the Capital Airport in Springfield at 4:45 a.m. and busy or entertained until their return and Honor March into the Airport terminal at 10:30 p.m. Bobby served our country in the Navy in World War II. His son, Steve, accompanied him on the flight. It was a great opportunity for both of them. They both would highly recommend any Veteran taking advantage of this opportunity, as a small payback for their time served. The trip is totally free from start to finish for every Veteran; the organization depends on the public’s donations and volunteers (there is no salary paid to anyone in the organization) to keep the flights going. Anyone interested in going or contributing can go to the website: www.LandofLincolnHonorFlight.org for more information. We thank him and all vets for their service and commitment, and appreciate the volunteers and donors who make the Honor Flight possible for these great men. And thanks to Steve & Vicky Bright for the picture and story.
Now that we have your mind on baseball, try this “wacky work game”. Each box represents a familiar word or phrase associated with baseball. For example, the first square is “triple play”. Have fun! (answers on Page 35.)
A good crowd joined us at the Focus meeting in Bement.
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Friends & Family
Mary Ann & Isabel Hillard, Marilyn Ayers, Mary Ayers, & Steve Ayers, at Mary’s graduation from the U of I Medical School in Rockford.
Friends & Family
MaKenzie & Aubree Jones Brody, Brenden & Cooper Brammer Vernon Klockenga
The Walsh family
Brother Holden was Paige Shull’s date for the Valentine’s Dance.
Tracy Welch
NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Justin Algier & Tim Schable. Justin was invited to school, for a presentation to the students. Tim, as a sponsor, was invited for lunch.
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Bill Gallagher
Tom Irwin
Little Lucy, Dana’s granddaughter
Randy Hinton, planting just east of the Bement elevator
Gloann Walsh, Makayla Walsh, & Gaylord Hendrix, in Florida for Makayla’s spring break softball tournament. JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 23
Friends & Family
Friends & Family
Jim & Mikki Burn’s grandkids – Cooper (in front), JD, Blaine & Audrey Wyatt & Emma Lawhead
Bruce Lux The Fendleys – Wilma & Jim, Sandy, Janet & Nancy
Gabby Weydright andKegin Houghton (Gerry’s grandson)
Clarence Vogelzang
Dylan Gallagher
Sandy & Wayne Benanti Wyatt Lawhead
Dave Schneider
Steve Haseley
Tom Riley
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Eddie Voyles
Lynn Haseley
John Larson’s planting helper
A view of the Milmine elevator from Sam Brandenburg’s planter tractor JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 25
Happy Retirement!
Happy Retirement!
Riding Off Into the Sunset
Life is a Beach Party!
We celebrated Beth Stephen’s retirement with a Western themed party on February 25. Beth began working for East Lincoln Farmers Coop in 1993, and joined Topflight Grain in September. She is now busy preparing for her daughter’s wedding, spending some time with her parents, and taking care of her horses.
John Sandel
We celebrated Jill Gabriel’s retirement with a beach party on March 27. Jill has worked for East Lincoln Farmers Grain since 1985, coming into Topflight last September. She ran the office at Beason. Her husband Larry retired a few weeks earlier. Their first destination was a month in Texas! We wish them many happy years of enjoying the good life!
Jim Rohrer Bill Sahs and Jill
Beth was excited about her retirement gift from Topflight Grain
Jill and Jim Brown (we had to send Jim home to change to his “beach” shirt!)
Bill Sahs
Scott thanked Jill for all of her years at East Lincoln & Topflight Grain.
Eldon Dierker
Jill and Martin VanHoorn And the bride-to-be, daughter Stefanie
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Lynn Haseley, Todd Steinberg, Janice Funk
And a tip of the hat to both girls, from Gerry!
Jill and John Irwin
Jill and Brother Gary Hamblen JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 27
DO I CHANCE THE CLIMB? by Andrew Hanes, Safety Manager
I
n many areas throughout agriculture, you see some sort of fixed ladders. Those ladders may be on the side of a bin, or fixed as steps, or a ladder on the side of an implement of some sort. If you haven’t utilized a fixed ladder of some sort, you have more than likely utilized portable ladders of some sort. With both types of ladders, it is important to check the ladders before using them to make sure they are on stable footing and there are not any broken pieces or rungs that might cause falls. With extension ladders, it is important to remember the 4-to-1 rule. This rule suggests that for every 4 feet the ladder goes up, the base of the ladder should be out 1 foot from the thing you are leaning it against. If you are like me, Geometry is not a strong suit. To roughly make sure you are following the 4-to-1 rule, try the following: after the ladder is setup, put your feet at the base of the ladder. With your arms fully extended out, you should be able to grab on to the ladder. While this is not an exact science, it will get you very close to the ratio you need for safe climbing. It is also important to remember that you should always have 3 points of contact with the ladder. While this recommendation won’t prevent a fall – and assuming that the ladder is secure – you are more likely to prevent a fall. The picture with the bears does show a couple of things to keep in mind while climbing a ladder. Whether the ladder is permanent or temporary, it is
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wise to use a ladder with one climber at a time. Climbing in tandem could make the ladder become more unstable. Making sure your shoes are in good shape and the ladder is dry also helps in trying to insure you do not slip and fall. To change gears from ladders, one thing that has been weighing on my mind lately is why it is important to stay safe. I recently welcomed a new addition to my family in the form of my daughter. One thing we stress for our staff is that they are the first line of Safety in our company. There is no way that management can be everywhere all the time to keep them safe. Without staff putting safety into practice in their everyday activities, our policies are just words on a page. With that in mind, one question to ask is: Why do I stay safe? At this point in my life, I stay safe because I want to be there for my wife and kids for a long time. I don’t want them to experience this life without me around. June is National Safety Month. During the month of June, I would like to hear from you. What is your answer when you ask yourself the question: Why do I stay safe? Feel free to send me an email at ahanes@topflightgrain.com or send me a note at the following address:
GRAIN PAGE OPEN OUTCRY CLOSES AT THE CME (CBOT)
Open pit trading will come to a halt at the CME/CBOT on July 2. About 99% of the commodities traded go through the electronic pit, leaving the open pit traders inactive. As of July 2, all commodity trade will be electronic. The Chicago Board of Trade was established in 1848, to ensure that there were buyers and sellers for commodities. In the open outcry trading, traders stood in “pits”, that were octagan-shaped platforms, with steps, that put traders in easy view of each other. Location on the octagon and on the steps signified contract months. Traders offered their sales or purchases vocally and with the use of hand signals. In 2006, the electronic platform was offered, and over time, electronic has become the method of choice, in placing trades. On July 2, the open outcry will become a part of history.
BUSHELS & PRICES
As of May 1, Topflight Grain farmers had sold 29,463,812 bushels (78%) of their 2014 corn, at an average price of $3.62. 6,923,544 bushels (89%) of 2014 beans have been sold at an average price of $10.21. For the 2015 crop, 3,575,466 bushels (~14%) of corn have been sold at an average price of $3.86; 744,443 bushels (~13%) of beans have been sold at an average price of $9.77.
Topflight Grain Co-Operative Attn: Andrew Hanes P.O. Box 69 Cisco, IL 61830 JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 29
2nd Grade Adventures
W
e’ve had a great year of fun and learning, with our “adopted” 2nd grade class in Bement. On March 17, we took the bus to Old Orchard Lanes in Savoy, for an afternoon of bowling. Four teams of bowlers played two games and enjoyed some pizza and soft drinks. It was a great afternoon!
O
ur next trip took us to the National Guard Armory in Decatur, and a tour of the Kroger grocery store, on April 17. At the National Guard, we watched the movie of the Guard dropping candy packages to overseas youth in warravaged countries. Then, there were lots of questions asked, followed by an opportunity to sit in the Blackhawk helicopter, the airport’s firetruck and snow removal equipment. “It was an awesome trip”! Our 2nd grade class
Lori’s granddaughter was super excited, because Grandma works at Old Orchard. The blade on the airport snowplow is HUGE!
Ready to drive the firetruck!
Each student was also given a rose to take home from Kroger
It must have been a strike! Ready for take-off, well, not really.
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Each student chose an apple to put in their “take home” sack, at Kroger
We all wore hairnets, at Kroger, to keep the food safe. JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 31
AROUND TOPFLIGHT ......
O
AROUND TOPFLIGHT ......
ur operations crew has been busy picking up corn and loading out trucks & trains. From December 1 to late April, Bement has shipped out 2 bean trains and 8 corn trains, plus 150 truckloads of beans and 219 truckloads of corn; Cisco has shipped out 16 corn trains, plus 408 truckloads of beans; Milmine has shipped out 3 bean trains, 12 corn trains, 334 truckloads of beans, 61 truckloads of corn, and 135 loads of nongmo beans; Monticello has shipped out 1 bean train, 8 corn trains, 333 truckloads of beans, and 503 truckloads of corn. Atlanta has shipped out 152 loads of beans and 295 loads of corn. Atwood has shipped out 144 loads of beans, 538 loads of corn, 57 loads of nongmo beans and 11 loads of wheat. Beason has shipped out 216 loads of beans and 263 loads of corn. Burrowsville shipped out 158 loads of beans. Johnston Siding has shipped out 57 loads of beans and 791 loads of corn. Kruger has shipped out 8 loads of beans and 266 loads of corn. LaPlace has shipped out 416 loads of beans and 984 loads of corn. Lawndale has shipped out 128 loads of beans and 225 loads of corn. Lodge has shipped out 297 loads of beans and 78 loads of corn. Maroa has shipped out 555 loads of beans and 1318 loads of corn. Pierson has shipped out 109 loads of beans and 1578 truckloads of corn. Seymour has shipped out 88 loads of beans, 608 loads of corn and 31 loads of nongmo beans. Shacks has shipped out 24 loads of beans, 117 loads of corn, and 51 loads of wheat. Voorhies has shipped out 222 loads of beans. Waller has shipped out 240 loads of beans.
Gary models his new TFG attire, with Amy.
Dana captured this hawk, watching, on the Maroa sign.
Mark Albert loads a truck of corn, out of LaPlace
Pam sat in one of the Caterpillars at the museum in Peoria, following a meeting with employees and directors.
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We welcome Evan Brewbaker to the operations staff and the office staff. He will be in charge of the Seymour facility.
Loading the train at Milmine (and Bement, Monticello & Cisco) our staff tethers to the fall protection rail for safety.
Gary Liggett & Dan Greer, at Maroa JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 33
AROUND TOPFLIGHT ......
AROUND TOPFLIGHT ......
Rick Stone, unloading corn at Cisco. John Boehm unloaded one of the many loads of corn delivered to Cisco late this spring.
COMING DOWN!
The old “crib” in Atlanta came down this summer. Those old wood structures were built well! Dan Greer keeps the grounds looking good at Maroa. It’s been a busy spring for mowing. Answers to Baseball Wacky Words:
Downtown Monticello, taken from atop the Monticello elevator, by Andrew Hanes during a safety inspection
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Vanessa, Laura & Amy served food at Jill’s retirement party.
1. Triple Play 2. Shortstop 3. “Who’s on first?” 4. Box scores 5. Seventh inning stretch 6. Center field 7. Line drive 8. Dugout 9. High fly 10. Pitcher’s mound
11. World series 12. Baseball diamond 13. Designated hitter 14. Squeeze play 15. Windup 16. Top of the ninth 17. Left on base 18. On-deck circle 19. Batting slump 20. Southpaw
Gary Liggett measures outbound grain moisture. The 1 million bushel corn pile at Milmine was picked up mid-March in a quick 10 days. The CSX has been improving railroad crossings along the line in LaPlace, Pierson & Atwood. Jeremy & the auditors began pre-yearend work in April, as the May 31 fiscal yearend approaches. JUNE 2015 / topflight newsletter 35
Topflight Grain 420 W Marion Monticello IL 61856
prsrt std us postage paid champaign, il permit no. 880
topflight Grain mission statement:
We are committed to the future of agriculture by improving the profitability of our customers through quality service and exceptional people.
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