Glacial Plains Cooperative’s De Graff, MN feed mill underwent a $20 million expansion in 2023 to more than double its production capacity to 37.5 tph. Photos courtesy of Glacial Plains Cooperative.
Glacial Plains Cooperative has served West Central Minnesota farmers since the early 1900s when it established grain elevators in Kerkhoven, Murdock, and Benson. Today, the Murdock-based coop handles 20 to 25 million bushels of grain and 35,000 to 40,000 tons of fertilizer annually.
To continue meeting the evolving needs of its customers while delivering reliable service, Glacial Plains in 2023 initiated an expansion of its De Graff feed mill. The location is home to two mills, one for animal feed and the second dedicated to processing bird food.
Strategic Planning with Financial Clarity
Recognizing the complexity and cost implications of such a project, General Manager Mark Greicar tells Grain Journal it partnered with Gales Design & Consulting to ensure the expansion was both efficient and cost-effective. The team kicked off the project with an in-depth needs analysis. As Jim Gales, co-owner of Gales Design & Consulting, explained, “We go through and really dive deep into how the mill needs to perform to meet the owner’s expectations. From output requirements to sanitation needs, we examine every detail to ensure we’re fully aware of the owner’s expectations and needs.”
One of the key benefits of conducting this thorough analysis right at the beginning of a project is that Gales Design is able to offer project owners with very early, and accurate cost estimates for a project. “We focus on providing very early cost estimates so companies can evaluate their return on investment (ROI) before committing significant resources,” explained Gales. “They don’t have to spend $100,000 on engineering to find out a project is too costly or doesn’t suit their needs. Instead, we bring those estimates to the table quickly, often within a month, allowing clients to decide if the project aligns with their financial and business goals.”
This approach also offers another huge benefit to project owners, even before hitting the design phase the team at Gales Design is able to assess overall equipment effectiveness and identify constraints that limit efficiency. By pinpointing bottlenecks, labor challenges, and equipment performance issues, Gales Design is able to address these operational challenges as the project moves into the design phase.
Collaborative Design for Maximum Efficiency
With an in-depth analysis complete, numbers finalized, and project requirements clearly defined, Glacial Plains moved forward with the De Graff expansion. The company sought experts in engineering, automation, land surveying, and more to develop an optimal design for the facility expansion. Key contributors included VAA LLC, American Engineering Testing, Inc., and Mulder Engineering. “The right design was our top priority,” said Jim Gales. “By bringing together a team of top-tier experts who understand both agriculture and their individual disciplines, we were able to create a design that fully addressed Glacial Plains’ needs, including resolving bottlenecks to maximize operational efficiency.”

A New Challenge and Swift Adaptation
Just as the project was set to move into the construction phase, an unexpected challenge emerged. A long-time customer of Glacial Plains – a retail chain specializing in farm and ranch supplies – announced plans to expand significantly, acquiring numerous new stores and doubling their bird food production orders. However, the existing bird food mill was already operating at full capacity.
The project team had to act quickly. Gales Design & Consulting immediately revisited the needs analysis, shifting the focus to bird food production.
In just three weeks, it completed a comprehensive new analysis and project redesign.
“It was incredible to see everyone come together and adapt so quickly,” said Greicar. “What could have been a major roadblock turned into an opportunity to innovate, and the speed and quality of the adjustments were truly impressive.”
Investing in Community and Long-Term Growth
What started as a modest improvement project had grown into a $20 million full-facility expansion. Greicar said the project represents more than just an operational upgrade – “it’s a way to deepen our connection with the De Graff community.”
Efficient Management During the Construction Phase
The construction phase of the De Graff facility expansion was a well-coordinated effort that ran smoothly and concluded successfully on time in September 2024.
Contractors such as SMA Design Build, Freetly Electric Inc., Marcus Construction, Inc., and Crow River Construction played pivotal roles in maintaining project timelines and delivering results.

A second robot was added to the plans during the design phase because of its ability to multiply production numbers while maintaining low costs.
Strategic Upgrades Drive Success and Sustainability
A primary benefit of the De Graff expansion was a significant boost in production capacity, which exceeded Glacial Plains’ initial expectations. The project more than doubled capacity to 37.5 tph.
“It’s a common misconception that increasing capacity requires an equal increase in costs,” explained Gales. “By identifying and addressing bottlenecks, we can strategically expand production in the right areas and achieve significant gains with minimal additional expense.”
Doubling Capacity in the Mixing Process Improvements in Bagging and Tote-Filling
The seed mill also saw transformational improvements, particularly in the bagging and tote-filling processes. Automated bagging systems were introduced, and adjustments were made to the manual aspects of the bagging process, ultimately doubling the facility’s bagging capacity and streamlining a task that was previously labor-intensive. Similarly, the tote-filling process was revamped with new scales and a more efficient system, which Greicar says boosted capacity by 12 times.

Enhancing Product Quality
In addition to increasing speed and capacity, upgrades brought significant improvements in product quality, according to Randy Simmonds, Feed Division manager for the De Graff facility. “The state-of-the-art equipment we’ve invested in is going to make our finished product quality so much better. For example, with corn grinding, we’ll now have the ability to adjust the grind exactly as each producer wants it, from a coarser texture to a fine powder.”
Looking Ahead to the Future in De Graff
As Glacial Plains Cooperative reflects on the success of the De Graff expansion, its focus already has shifted toward the future. “The investment in this facility is not just about meeting today’s demands,” added Greicar, “but about building a foundation for continued growth and innovation. With the enhanced capacity, cutting-edge technology, and a commitment to excellence, Glacial Plains is well-positioned to adapt to evolving market needs and support their customers and community for years to come.”