SALINA, KS – After purchasing a grain handling facility in Downs, KS from Tetlow Grain Company in August 2002, The Scoular Company has transformed the facility into a shuttle train loader capable of loading 100 rail cars in less than eight hours. The first of several shuttle trains from the Downs facility was loaded in September 2003—less than nine months after the construction phase began. The new facility is owned by Solomon Valley LLC, a joint venture company that Scoular formed in conjunction with Morrison Ventures, Inc.

According to Chuck Elsea, Scoular Senior Vice President, “We are very pleased with the results of the investment in facility improvements and owe our thanks to the excellent group of construction contractors that worked on this project and also to the community of Downs for its tremendous support and cooperation.”

Elsea continues, “Now that the facility is operating at its full capacity, we are able to provide better service to country elevator and producer customers and give our end-user customers in the U.S. and Mexico another reliable source of quality wheat and sorghum.”

In November, Scoular hosted a tour of the facility attended by leaders in the agricultural industry, civic and community leaders from Downs, and key Scoular customers. The purpose of the tour was to highlight the importance of this facility in Scoular's extensive grain marketing network and to express Scoular's appreciation for local support of the project. Following the tour, Scoular hosted its sixth annual "Pheasant Blast", a pheasant hunt to mark another successful harvest and show appreciation to customers and service providers.