The parent for grain bin maker Twister Pipe and grain drying and aeration equipment firm Edwards Group plans to build one new home for both companies’ plants in southern Alberta.
Winnipeg’s Ag Growth International on Tuesday confirmed its plans to expand its manufacturing space at Nobleford, about 30 km northwest of Lethbridge. Work now done in the companies’ Lethbridge plants will be consolidated at Nobleford.
The projects involve a new 76,000-square foot plant to house a “state-of-the-art” manufacturing line for Twister corrugated grain bins, and a 25,000-sq. ft. expansion to house the manufacturing of Edwards’ Grain Guard and Keho aeration equipment lines, now made at Lethbridge.
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Work on Twister bins and Edwards equipment is now done at both plants, which between them employ over 200 people.
“The new bin line will increase our capacity to manufacture — not only more bins built efficiently, but also the larger diameters that customers are asking for,” Dan Donner, Ag Growth’s vice-president for sales and marketing, said in a release.
“This is an investment that will allow us to better service our existing customers and go after new markets. In particular, we are excited about what this means for our Canadian farm clients.”
Ag Growth, in a financial report two weeks ago for its third quarter ending Sept. 30, said the grain bin plant and its automated production equipment are budgeted at $15 million in total and are scheduled to be ready in the company’s fourth quarter.
“The investment is expected to allow the company to capitalize on international sales opportunities and to increase sales in North America,” the company said at the time.
The other expansion, for Grain Guard and Keho production, is expected to cost about $4.2 million in total but is expected to lead to lower operating costs once the work is moved to Nobleford, also during Ag Growth’s Q4.
Edwards and Twister have been divisions of grain handling equipment maker Ag Growth since 2005 and 2007 respectively.
