Working with the grain of human relationships
“Buying grain is a business that relies absolutely on relationships”
Our network of 12 country elevators in the heart of the US cornbelt has to be a model of large-scale industrial efficiency – we process 2 per cent of the entire US corn crop. Our plants need grain 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – and the supply market is competitive, and potentially risky.
But after more than half a century embedded in the farming communities around Decatur and Lafayette, Tate & Lyle’s grain procurement relies as much on trust and teamwork as on accurate logistics. “Buying grain is a business that relies absolutely on relationships,” says Doug Mortensen, Vice President Commodities, Americas. “Farming is community-orientated, and our network is a very important part of that. Farmers trust the people they see year in, year out.”
The key to keeping the grain flowing? Treating suppliers with the same respect we treat customers. “Farmers can choose who they sell to and when, so it’s important we are their first choice to do business with.”