Updated, April 6 — Agrifood firm Parrish and Heimbecker has started “major” upgrades on one of its southwestern Ontario grain elevators, with plans to dedicate the site to milling wheat.
Winnipeg-based P+H said Tuesday the work already underway at its inland facility on Highway 21 just south of Kincardine will boost unloading speeds on grain deliveries and “expand storage capacity for farmers and customers in the region.”
P+H said the enhanced site “will be dedicated to serving the robust demand for high-quality wheat” from the company’s four southern Ontario flour mills.
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The site upgrades, which are expected to be completed early next year, will be done in two phases, a company representative said Thursday via email.
The first phase will include automated systems to increase loading speeds. Those plans call for bigger receiving pits, a new dryer and wet storage system, a self-weighing kiosk for trucks, and a probing station, P+H said.
“Once completed, the new facility will offer faster unload times for producers eliminating lineups and enhancing food safety and quality control capabilities.”
Also, P+H said, self-loading capability for outbound trucks will be added, so as to “reduce wait times and improve overall efficiency.”
In the second phase, P+H said Thursday, the facility’s storage will be expanded to double its current capacity of 10,000 tonnes.
On top of the efficiency boost the upgrades will provide, “they will also benefit our customers by allowing them to unload their grain quickly and easily, reducing wait times and improving their overall experience,” Bruce Humphries, the Kincardine site’s general manager, said Tuesday in the company’s release. — Glacier FarmMedia Network
UPDATE, April 6: Article updated to include comment from P+H.
