Grain Storage Expansion Coming Soon
Jun 02, 2025
Jarod Lemper
Grain Division Manager
If you've visited Key’s Newton facility on Highway 14 recently, you may have noticed some dirt being moved around on the west side of the property. This site work is being done in preparation for a much-needed upgrade to the facility — a new three-million-bushel hoop building.
Key has contracted with Macon Construction to replace the outdoor bunker and ring with a covered hoop building complete with its own pit, unload system and dual overhead load-out bins. (example below)
The building sits on a 180’ by 528’ concrete pad with 17’ walls. It will have its own receiving pit with 20,000 bushels per hour (BPH) leg and drag conveyor. Over the top will be a 40,000 BPH conveyor belt with a moveable plow system to fill the building. The fill conveyor is being oversized to accommodate additional filling capacity from the existing facility in the future.
Under the floor is a 7’ by 7’ tunnel for the 15,000 BPH reclaim conveyance with gates spaced every 30’. Reclaim will flow through two 5,000-bushel overhead hopper bins.
We're very excited to get this project started. There's been a need for additional space in the Newton area for some time. The old bunker and ring structure had a capacity of about 1.25 million bushels, so we're adding another 1.75 million of storage. The new building will not only serve the Newton area, but Grinnell and Sully as well. Transfers of both corn and soybeans flow between the three facilities.
We continue to grow the volume of business on the Iowa Interstate Railroad, so having our grain flow closer the Newton Rail Center is a logical move. Over the last few years, we've utilized the rail facility to move volume during harvest, primarily to get the crop out of the field. The additional storage will allow us to hold on to more of that grain and not market it during the poor basis period at harvest.
This project is large enough that it will take over a year to complete. The old structures have been removed, and site preparation has begun. The foundation, concrete pad and tunnel will be completed later this year. This will allow us to utilize the pad for a tarped outdoor bunker this fall. The building and equipment will be fully functional for harvest of 2026.
Grain Division Manager
If you've visited Key’s Newton facility on Highway 14 recently, you may have noticed some dirt being moved around on the west side of the property. This site work is being done in preparation for a much-needed upgrade to the facility — a new three-million-bushel hoop building.
Key has contracted with Macon Construction to replace the outdoor bunker and ring with a covered hoop building complete with its own pit, unload system and dual overhead load-out bins. (example below)
The building sits on a 180’ by 528’ concrete pad with 17’ walls. It will have its own receiving pit with 20,000 bushels per hour (BPH) leg and drag conveyor. Over the top will be a 40,000 BPH conveyor belt with a moveable plow system to fill the building. The fill conveyor is being oversized to accommodate additional filling capacity from the existing facility in the future.
Under the floor is a 7’ by 7’ tunnel for the 15,000 BPH reclaim conveyance with gates spaced every 30’. Reclaim will flow through two 5,000-bushel overhead hopper bins.
We're very excited to get this project started. There's been a need for additional space in the Newton area for some time. The old bunker and ring structure had a capacity of about 1.25 million bushels, so we're adding another 1.75 million of storage. The new building will not only serve the Newton area, but Grinnell and Sully as well. Transfers of both corn and soybeans flow between the three facilities.
We continue to grow the volume of business on the Iowa Interstate Railroad, so having our grain flow closer the Newton Rail Center is a logical move. Over the last few years, we've utilized the rail facility to move volume during harvest, primarily to get the crop out of the field. The additional storage will allow us to hold on to more of that grain and not market it during the poor basis period at harvest.
This project is large enough that it will take over a year to complete. The old structures have been removed, and site preparation has begun. The foundation, concrete pad and tunnel will be completed later this year. This will allow us to utilize the pad for a tarped outdoor bunker this fall. The building and equipment will be fully functional for harvest of 2026.