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Managing a feed mill requires not only sharp leadership and problem-solving skills, but also the flexibility to alter purchasing decisions and habits along the way. Although daily duties at the mill may not change much from day to day, how you handle economic changes can make or break an operation.

Feed mills, ethanol plants, elevators and any other agricultural facility that ships feed and grain, should be well aware that a new plan for fuel efficiency is in order. The costs of feed, food and crude oil have inflated prices across the board and we can see it most at the gas pump. Some experts say the days of paying less than $3 for a gallon of gas are no more.

With summer right around the corner, prices are expected to climb even higher. The effects of this development are far reaching, and have an impact on all sectors of industry that rely on transporting products.

Just as families across America have adjusted their driving habits, industries, such as feed mills and grain elevators, should adjust their habits to increase miles per gallon and the bottom line. This includes utilizing and maintaining the right equipment for the job and educating yourself on how to gain the highest fuel efficiency it can achieve.

Lighten Up!

Terry Medemblik, sales and marketing manager of Walinga, sheds some light on how shipping equipment has changed because of rising fuel costs.

From their beginning in the mid 1950s, Walinga has been repeatedly challenged by an ever-changing and highly demanding feed industry, to develop innovative and efficient material transportation and conveying systems.

As the focus shifts to fuel efficiency, the new challenge becomes how to marry reduced fuel consumption with enhancements which deliver improved productivity and time savings.