KANSAS CITY, Mo.  – Bartlett Grain  announced Thursday its construction of a new grain facility in Barton County just east of Great Bend on the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad. “We look forward to bringing our focus on customer service and access to strong destination markets to the area’s producers and the region’s existing grain elevators,” said Bob Knief, president, Bartlett Grain Company.
The new elevator is designed for efficient and high-speed handling of inbound trucks. Road access will be off of US Highway 56. The facility will have nearly 3 million bushels of storage and is designed to load out 110 car shuttle trains. We expect to employ 10+ people year-round.
Construction will begin this month, and the company anticipates being open for business by the 2015 wheat harvest, Knief said. “Bartlett’s originators will increase our presence in the area over the next few months.”
The Barton County elevator will join nine other Bartlett grain facilities in Kansas. Bartlett is a family owned and managed company which has been operating grain elevators in Kansas since 1907.
“We are thankful to Barton County for their welcome and strong support,” Knief said.
The Barton County Commission Monday morning approved the rezoning of the property between Southeast 50 and Southeast 50 avenues from agriculture to commercial. This paved the way for the owners to sell the 100-some acres to the company.
Bartlett will only used about four acres and the rest will remain in farm production.