GRAIN WAVE

RIBBON CUT: Trish Corson (left), wife of the late John Corson, and Gail Corson, wife of Thomas Corson, cut the ribbon this morning to officially open the new Corson Grain silo site in Solander Street. Picture by Liam Clayton

The ribbon was cut this morning to formally declare open for business Corson Grain's five new maize silos on a Solander Street site in the industrial subdivision.

The honours were done by members of the Corson family — Trish Corson, wife of the late John Corson, and Gail Corson, wife of Thomas Corson.

The $1.8 million project began with site preparations for the five new giant silos — each holding 1000 tonnes of grain —, at the end of last year. That work was done by Civil Project Solutions.

In April this year, equipment from Iowa company Sukup Manufacturing arrived to construct the silos, which will be commissioned in the next two weeks.

Sukup are the world's largest manufacturers of grain storage, drying and handling equipment.

“This is the start of an ongoing silo replacement project, with two more on order now to replace two of the 50-year-old silos at the front of the site,” Corson Grain chief executive Dan Prenter said.

“It's great to have Trish and Gail here with us today to cut the ribbon.”

Corson Grain procurement manager Richard Hyland said the project was an exciting development.

“The new silos expand the company's onsite storage capacity. Most importantly they make the whole process more efficient, and enhance the end quality of our product.”

Mr Hyland said the project demonstrated the company's ongoing commitment to Gisborne, Wairoa and East Coast maize growers.

“The new silos will store grain inventory before they start taking on the 2023 maize harvest.

“They have cooling floors installed that will help the drying process and reduce the stress on the maize during that process.

“That will benefit processors of our maize, with improved corn quality supplied for the manufacture of corn chips and corn flakes.”

Mr Hyland said operationally the new silos would minimise bottlenecks when the maize was received at the plant, reduce double-handling, help with refining and improve the company's overall performance.

“The project has gone to plan and we're looking forward to seeing the new system in full swing.”

Corson Grain has been in operation since 1905 and has become a leading producer of maize-based products in the food industry across Australasia and South East Asia, where the company's markets have been growing.

It has mills in Gisborne and Tuakau, and in Queensland and New South Wales.