ARKANSAS COMPANY BUYS BOOTHEEL GRAIN ELEVATOR

DUDLEY - The Quincy Soybean Co. of Arkansas, based at Helena and a division of Quincy Soybean Company at Quincy, Ill., has its first grain elevator in southeast Missouri following the recent purchase of the former Merchants Grain facility about three miles west of here on Highway 60.

"We feel the Bootheel is one of the best agricultural regions in the country and we're excited about finding an elevator in that area," said Rod Frazier, vice president and general manager of Quincy's Arkansas division. "We've been looking in the Bootheel for a number of years and were finally successful in finding an elevator there."

Frazier, who's been with the company for 15 years, said that Quincy is "certainly looking to expand our country elevator system. We're always interested in other locations. We try to find elevators that have the quality and customer base to fit our needs. We feel the Dudley facility fits those criteria well."

Quincy's Arkansas division has four other elevators associated with the firm around Helena, Ark., which is about 65 miles south of Memphis, Tenn. In addition, the parent firm, the Quincy Soybean Company at Quincy, Ill., has 11 elevators and one river facility in northwest Missouri and another five elevators east of the Mississippi River and south of its of Quincy headquarters.

The Quincy Soybean Co. operates the largest soybean oilseed processing plant in the U.S. at Quincy, about 125 miles north of St. Louis. In addition, a similar plant is located at Helena, Ark., as part of that division which also includes a vegetable oil refinery in the downtown area.

According to a promotional brochure, the Quincy Soybean Company is a processor of soybeans and refiner of vegetable oils engaged in the manufacture of soybean meal for animal fee, crude and refined soybean oil for edible and industrial uses and other edible soybean products including Quincy Dietary Fiber. The Quincy Soybean Company was founded in 1939 and its assets were purchased by the Moorman Manufacturing Company in 1961.

The Moorman Manufacturing Company, well-known for its Moorman's Feeds products, was founded in 1885 near Big Spring, Ky., by Thomas Moorman. The company moved its headquarters to Quincy, Ill., in 1910. Today, the company, along with its other subsidiaries as Bell Grain & Milling and Moorman Manufacturing Company of California, manufactures and sells commercial feed products and livestock equipment throughout the U.S.

Frazier said that Quincy's intentions at the Stoddard County facility is "to provide a market for all the grains that area farmers produce. We want to be a full-service elevator. We hope to continue to upgrade the facility and provide the best possible service."

In addition to soybeans, the facility here will continue to handle corn, milo and wheat. Last year the elevator handled over 3.5 million bushels of these crops from area farmers. The local elevator has over 2 million bushels of storage space and one of its advantages is a direct rail link to Helena, Ark., through Poplar Bluff.

Gene Glastetter of rural Poplar Bluff is continuing as the manager of the local facility with 19 years of experience here. Other employees at the elevator are: Sue Merritt, Broseley, office secretary and a 15-year employee; Rick Wilkerson, rural Dudley, elevator superintendent, employed since 1984; and grain handlers - Earl Schatte and Dale Bounds, both of rural Poplar Bluff; and Chris Isaac, rural Puxico.

Frazier noted that agriculture is the only business in which Quincy Soybean Company and its affiliates are involved. "We have a long history of involvement in agriculture," he concluded.