From its conveniently located, state-of-the-art engineering and manufacturing facilities in the Midwest, AGRA Industries, Inc offers comprehensive design, engineering, fabrication, equipment supply, and construction services to niche industrial agriculture markets across the US.
THE BEST OF MIDWEST AGRICULTURE
Situated in north-central Wisconsin (WI), AGRA Industries, Inc (AGRA) takes pride in its Midwestern work ethic, which is often attributed to the region’s deep agricultural roots.
The Midwestern states are commonly referred to as the ‘Corn Belt’, owing to their intensive production and extensive agricultural land, of which there is more than 127 million acres.
AGRA’s complete emphasis on industrial agriculture stretches back to the 1960s, providing the company with decades of experience and a substantial mix of equipment manufacturing and construction know-how.
This has allowed AGRA to become a premier, full-service general contractor and equipment supplier to its target markets, understanding the challenges of modern-day industrial agriculture businesses and meeting their needs with the goal of enhancing efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
As a full-service general contractor, the company oversees every step of projects from conception to completion, resulting in exceptional quality and timely delivery.
Indeed, with best-in-field knowledge, AGRA’s full-service technicians can perform any task, from routine inspections to full-scale rebuilds or replacements, and possess the tools, specialty equipment, and experience to keep facilities running.
The company’s expertise includes new turnkey processes and innovative industrial agriculture solutions for feed mills, grain handling, bulk storage, biomass pellets, seed processing facilities, and ethanol production plants.
This comprehensive suite keeps customers ahead in a competitive and ever-changing market, empowering them to adapt and thrive.
FEED MILL EXPERTISE
AGRA’s complete feed mill designs, several of which have been commissioned in recent years, are fully engineered and compliant with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, ensuring they are ready to hit the ground running.
The company controls steel fabrication and the majority of material handling and storage manufacturing for feed mill projects, which translates into unmatched lead times and reliable delivery schedules.
In late fall last year, AGRA was busy at a feed mill expansion, installing bin panels that were the company’s own proprietary design and built in WI, whilst construction is in progress for a feed mill structure and hoppers in Tennessee (TN).
Coupled with its expertise in feed mills, the company’s equipment manufacturing division, Merrill Fab, is dedicated to producing top-of-the-line machinery that guarantees superior performance and durability.
Merrill Fab is an American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)-certified fabricator with an outstanding reputation and focus on quality, providing full-service engineering, detailing, fabrication, and logistics services to structural steel, commercial, and industrial clients worldwide.
To ensure an on-time, quality job, the engineering and shop drawing process is controlled by Merrill Fab, whose team has grown to more than 20 detailers and engineers.
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
Efficient grain handling and bulk storage, meanwhile, are crucial for any agricultural operation, with AGRA offering innovative solutions to securely manage and store grains, thereby reducing waste and ensuring seamless distribution.
Equally, the company’s advanced technology for seed processing and ethanol production optimize operations to maximize efficiency and yield.
AGRA previously revealed to us in June 2022 that it was also working to address and overcome the problems faced by traditional pellet plants, such as the bridging of materials, capacity, and the quality of pellet production.
Biomass pellet production with waste streams and invasive feedstock is one of the many opportunities that excites the company.
As such, it is working on a project to turn paper waste into burnable pellets, as well as developing the sorting and drying technologies.
AGRA is well versed in the latter, as approximately one third of US corn seed production is dried using its equipment.
Those looking to explore renewable energy sources can also utilize the company’s cutting-edge biomass pellet solutions, which allow sustainable energy to be harnessed efficiently.
REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS
Elsewhere, AGRA is also branching into recycling and has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Carbon Clean, a leader in revolutionizing carbon capture solutions for hard-to-abate industries.
CaptureX, Carbon Clean’s semi-modular technology, captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from multiple industrial plants around the world.
It is proven across 49 sites globally and prefabricated, with 80 percent of the solution modularized and containerized, substantially reducing on-site activity and installation time compared to open-plant construction.
Under the strategic partnership, which was announced in June 2024, AGRA and Carbon Clean will collaborate to provide CaptureX to companies in agriculture-related sectors, including the production of biofuel, ethanol, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
This will allow customers to capture CO2 released during the biofuel fermentation stage, enabling fuel production with a lower carbon intensity rating and enhancing the ability of biofuel producers to claim Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) credits.
The collaboration demonstrates how AGRA has further expedited North America’s green energy transition, as mentioned when we last spoke to AGRA, with the two companies set to make a positive impact by reducing carbon emissions.
Carbon Clean’s CaptureX solution and deep expertise in modular carbon capture technologies, combined with AGRA’s decades of specialist experience in design-build skid modularization, will provide a compelling one-stop shop for the US biofuels production industry.
STRINGENT SAFETY
As well as its practical engineering, robust equipment, and quick turnaround times, AGRA is known for its stringent construction safety procedures.
Indeed, the company prides itself on providing a challenging but safe work experience for its team members, who are part of the AGRA family.
The company’s Compensation Program, meanwhile, gives welders, machine operators, and painters the chance to develop their skills.
Likewise, the program rewards these employees for contributing to the organization’s ongoing success, which promises to continue in 2025.
STEEL FABRICATION AND PRODUCTS
- Structures – AGRA engineers, details, and fabricates finished structural steel for bin systems, towers, catwalks, and warehouse buildings.
- Bolted bins – The company fabricates modular bin systems that are complete, robust, efficient to install, and built to last.
- Tanks – AGRA manufactures carbon and stainless steel liquid storage tanks for many industries. These field-erected tanks are safe and efficient to install.
- Conveyors – Hard at work in processing facilities worldwide, AGRA’s durable construction and robust conveyor designs are developed to exceed customer demands for efficiency and uptime reliability.
- Screw feeders – The company’s screw feeders and live bottoms are built to stand the test of time. Featuring heavy-duty assemblies and variable pitch flighting, its augers are robust and worry-free.
- Bucket elevators – AGRA manufactures safe and reliable bucket elevators that are NFPA-compliant and feature bearing monitoring, belt tracking, and explosion-resistant trunking to keep facilities safe.
- Choppers – Biomass chopping systems are also manufactured by the company.
- Batch dryers – AGRA’s batch dryers control airflow and temperatures.
