World Perspectives
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Too Many Shuttle Loaders

Operating margins for shuttle loaders have been exceptionally good in recent years because of good crops and strong demand, but are now becoming more compressed as additional facilities come on line and the competition for volume again starts to heat up.CoBank recently published a very good article on how the number of grain shuttle loading facilities has reached the saturation point, and I couldn't agree more. I started in the grain business back in the mid-70s when single car rail shipments were still the norm for most of the U.S. The exceptions were the big trains that moved from Illinois directly to the Louisiana Gulf. U.S. railroads were still regulated at that time. Deregulation came with the Staggers Act in 1980, which led to unbelie...

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From WPI Consulting

Weighing in on strategic realignment

WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.

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