Satake has delivered a major expansion for a key Queensland cattle company.
Condabri Beef, a Queensland–based family business on the Western Darling Downs, is nearing the end of a major expansion.
The company started out small but will soon be managing 35,000 head of cattle at any one time.
Lachlan Drury, one of four brothers running Condabri Beef, said the company has had a business partner it could rely on throughout its growth.
“We’ve done a lot with Satake over the years,” he told ABHR. “They’re a turnkey supplier and do a lot in the feedlot industry.”
“We started working with them in the early days, back when they were Denny’s, and kept working with them when Satake acquired the business.
“Over the years, the quality of the equipment has gotten a lot more advanced – the drafting, design, and project management have all improved.”
The two businesses have worked closely with each other for more than two decades on various projects. Condabri Beef’s feedlot has undergone several expansions over this time, with Satake’s design team considering future growth in every step.
This means the family business has not needed to start from scratch when it comes to new infrastructure plans.
“They understand our site,” Drury said. “They’re well-experienced on feedlot operations of grain handling, processing, and steam flaking.
“They manufacture and install the silos, elevators, and augurs themselves. They don’t need to get multiple contractors in to deliver the product.”
Turnkey feedlots
As part of Satake’s approach to project delivery, the company’s team sat down with the Condabri Beef to get an idea of how the family business planned to grow, working alongside the site.
Three different processes were vital to get right for the feedlot – dry rolling, tempering, and steam flaking.
Satake salesperson Caillum Coleman said the major feedlot needed to be able to utilise and maximise the starch availability amongst the grain from a nutritional standpoint so the cattle can digest it better.
“They have got four 718 tonne cone-base silos, with another three on order for a project later in the year,” he said.
“Currently, it’s a 150 tonnes per hour intake system equipped with augurs, elevators, and everything they need.
“We’re about to put in a new elevator that can handle up to 250tph, so if Condabri wishes, it can go to a secondary intake to feed at a higher rate.”
In addition, Satake has helped deliver a reclaim wetting and cleaning system capable of handling 50tph. This allows them to process grain in six tempering silos, while also having room to expand if needed. One of the standout features of the project is a liquid batching system. Essentially, it allows Condabri Beef to pre-batch the liquids into quick fill tanks on load cells.
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This means that instead of waiting for up to five minutes, the process can deliver the liquids into feed mixers in 30 seconds.
Drury said it is a huge part of the feeding operation, and vitally important to ensure 500t of mixed feed including up to 30t of liquid supplements is efficiently delivered every day.
Satake’s turnkey approach meant the business had control of the project throughout, allowing it to quickly respond to any challenges that arose.
One such challenge was inclement weather. Strong wind and rain threatened delays, but Satake had built in contingencies into its scheduling.
Coleman said it is part of Satake’s goal of under-promising and overdelivering.
“We can do the quote, handle all of the contracts right up to the point of sale, then our project manager takes over and works with clients through to the commissioning step.
“It’s quite important to offer this to our clients. They need someone they can rely on,” he said.
Reliability is also incorporated into the equipment itself. Everything Satake manufactures is designed to be easy to use and maintain.
The company’s engineers know its clients are often in hard-to-reach places around the country, where it can be hard to find staff.
In the event of a major breakdown, Satake also has a repairs and maintenance crew that is on hand to provide support.
“Whether it’s the production manager or workshop foreman, we always have someone on call,” Coleman said.