NSW-based silo manufacturer HE Silos Forbes with their sister company Grain Storage Technology has expanded into South Australia. ABHR finds out how the company plans to cement itself in the new market.
The yorke peninsula is a key growing region in South Australia, famous for its barley. It is also more than 1000km away from Forbes, NSW.
The distance doesn’t daunt HE Silos Forbes though, which recently celebrated our entrance into the South Australian market with an open day in Bute.
Stevie-Leigh Morrison, an executive director and third generation member at the company, said it was a vibrant, positive, welcoming experience.
“It’s so important for us to get involved with the local community,” she told ABHR. “We’re a small family business and the region is a beautiful, tight-knit community. Everyone knows everyone there.”
“We wanted to have boots on the ground to meet our new neighbours. Several people told us they were excited for us to be entering the market, and loved the fact we weren’t some big multinational corporation.
“It was also great to find so many people that share our values of family, high manufacturing standards, and a passion for storing the nations grain.”
Attendees shared their enthusiasm with HE Silo’s team and were excited to see it help fill gaps in the market. The company saw there is a lack of manufacturers in the area that could provide farmers with the right on-farm storage to fit their needs.
According to the Yorke Peninsula Council, not long ago most of the region’s paddocks were almost always barley or wheat, with the occasional oat crop. Now, farmers often choose to diversify, with a wide range of crops such as canola, faba beans, chickpeas, field peas and lentils.
Morrison said it was eye opening to learn that much of the local requirements were things that HE Silos was already providing.
“They were wanting higher capacity silos that had stronger structures to handle the particular grains being grown,” she said.
“Particularly when it comes to lentils. It’s not a common crop in NSW, but we have experience in storing them. There are a lot more variables to keep in mind – the density can change depending on and size and moisture, for example.
“Our silos are built to withstand higher structural capacities and are made from high quality materials to ensure they can uphold our standards for quality.”
Local farmers are also looking to store silos on their property, to give them more control over the price. Selling grain during the harvest is often when supply grows faster than demand – so being able to wait for the right price helps improve profits.
HE Silos Forbes can design a silo for almost any kind of operation, from a small four-tonne storage silo to a massive 10,000 tonne flat bottom industrial silo. Its standard cone elevated silos can be built with cone angles 30°, 45° or 60°, having built equipment for use in the food and beverage, chemical, plastics, stock feed, agriculture and even the bean bag industries.
Morrison said Grain Storage Technology (GST) by HE Silos Forbes is aiming to bring its large-scale silos to farms, not just to major bulk handling facilities.
“We’re farmers ourselves and understand the needs our customers have. We don’t forget about the everyday growers,” she said.
To help support the region, HE Silos is working closely with its sister company GST, which focuses on research and development. GST works with industry and universities to find new ways of improving silo designs. Silos will be manufactured in NSW and installed and serviced by GST’s staff locally.
Several of these silos were on display at the open day, along with a 200-bag feeder which can be designed to suit any type of livestock. The transportable feeders can also be assembled by HE Silos or the customer and holds up to 12 tonnes of oats.
Morrison said the event has energised the whole team, including her 20-month year old daughter who proudly wore a HE Silos shirt on the day.
“It was great for the local community to meet the whole family and see who we are and what we’re about,” she said.
“We have lots of plans and are expecting a lot of growth in the region. We’re looking to expand our SA team with more full-time staff and have a few new products we hope to launch over the next 12 months.
“We’re excited about this new adventure and can’t wait to hit the ground running.”