C Magazine - Winter 2018

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Annette Degnan 2018-02-02 14:56:00

Vastly Superior

Amber waves of grain grown across the Upper Midwest flow by rail and truck to the Port of Duluth-Superior on the banks of Lake Superior, a powerful, wave-driven link in the global supply chain.

“With proximity to major crop production regions, the CHS Superior (Wis.) Terminal has the advantage of better ocean freight cost spreads to primary destination markets in Europe and North Africa versus the Gulf of Mexico or Pacific Northwest,” says Ryan Caffrey, CHS senior merchandiser, CHS Global Grain Marketing.

The port connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence Seaway, sending grain to customers in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Over the past 10 years, CHS Superior crews have loaded more than 550 vessels and 300 million bushels of grain, primarily durum, spring and winter wheat; canola and flax; and sometimes corn, sunflowers, barley and soybeans.

Richard Carlson, CHS manager at the terminal, says he enjoys coordinating rail and truck traffic with vessel arrivals and blending stored grain to meet customer specifications.

Shipping season runs from April through December and working on Lake Superior can get cold, Carlson says. “We’ve loaded vessels at 30 degrees below zero with wind chills of minus 60. We adapt to the weather with proper clothing and prepare our equipment with the proper fuels and lubricants.”

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