14 GEAPS Chapter Maintenance Days Held This Past Year
Keeping equipment running is only part of the job. Keeping employees trained, prepared and connected is what keeps the grain and grain processing industries moving forward.
That focus on practical, real-world learning drove a record number of GEAPS chapter Maintenance Days this year, with several chapters hosting hands-on events for maintenance and frontline operations professionals.
Through expert-led sessions, equipment demonstrations and peer-to-peer networking, attendees gained practical strategies to reduce downtime, strengthen safety practices, improve reliability and extend equipment life. From first-time hosts to chapters that organized multiple events in a single year, Maintenance Days continued to build momentum and deliver impact.
Three-Peat Success
For many chapters, hosting a single Maintenance Day is a major undertaking. For the Cornbelt Chapter and the Canadian Prairies Chapter, one event quickly turned into three.
Throughout the Corn Belt, the hands-on education stretched from southern Wisconsin to southern Illinois. The chapter capitalized on Maintenance Days this year as an opportunity to better serve members across its large geographic footprint.
“We decided to split that area into three parts,” said Mark Avery, Cornbelt Chapter secretary. “It just made sense to bring the training closer to people in each region.”
The strategy worked. The chapter’s first-ever Maintenance Day, hosted in Bloomington, Illinois, drew more than 80 attendees and introduced many first-time participants to GEAPS programming.
Each event featured a full day of practical education focused on real-world operational challenges, including material handling, elevator buckets, power transmission and electrical systems. Cornbelt Chapter leaders leaned heavily on the expertise already within their chapter network to build the agenda.
Just as important as the technical training was the opportunity for attendees to connect face to face with peers, suppliers and speakers.
“It’s the networking,” Avery said. “People can talk to the speakers one-on-one, ask questions, look at equipment and learn from each other.”
The narrative was similar for the GEAPS Canadian Prairies Chapter. The in-person interaction helped turn the events into more than training sessions; they became gathering points for maintenance and operations professionals committed to improving safety, reliability and performance.
Not only did the Canadian Prairies Chapter host three Maintenance Days, but they spanned three provinces in three consecutive days. Maintenance topics included grain dryers, drag, leg and belt conveyors, power transmission and bearings, and general elevator preventive maintenance.
The three-day endeavor was a success.
“All of the topics were very well received,” said Canadian Prairies Chapter President Ruchi Ryley. “We had a lot of participation not just from managers, but from maintenance crews working directly in local terminals. People had the opportunity to ask detailed questions, better understand the processes behind the equipment, and really dig deeper into the mechanics of how systems operate.”
Among the three events in Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary, Ryley attributes a portion of the success to the affordability of attending thanks to generous sponsors. From education sponsors to program sponsors, that support helped keep registration costs manageable while giving attendees direct access to technical expertise, practical troubleshooting knowledge and conversations they could immediately take back to their facilities.
‘Two’ Good to Stop
The Great Plains Chapter did not stop at one Maintenance Day this year. The chapter hosted two successful and well-attended events in Dodge City and Salina, Kansas. Topics included drag conveyors and chain breaking; bearing removal, gearbox orientation and oil types; belt tension and lagging; belt splicing; and bunker tarps.
The Great Plains Chapter has played an important role in shaping the modern GEAPS Maintenance Day model. Early concepts were revisited and refined after 2020, eventually evolving into the hands-on, operations-focused format many chapters recognize today.
For chapter leaders, the goal was never simply to host another meeting. It was about creating opportunities for more industry professionals to engage at the local level while strengthening the chapter network.
“We want people to participate at the local chapter level, and we want them to be active,” said Great Plains Chapter President Josh Crosby. “Think outside the box and think about the main goal of GEAPS — reaching a broader audience, growing your individual chapters, and growing GEAPS as a whole.”
That mindset helped drive continued investment in Maintenance Days and the willingness to keep evolving the concept. As more chapters continue launching events of their own, the Great Plains Chapter’s early leadership and willingness to innovate continue to leave a lasting impact throughout the GEAPS organization.
One Strong Start
This year, a growing number of chapters proved that even one Maintenance Day can create meaningful momentum, with some hosting their first.
From Kansas City to Minneapolis, North Iowa to the Seaway region, chapters continued to bring the Maintenance Day experience to their local members. The Siouxland Chapter also hosted its first Maintenance Day this year.
Each chapter approached its event differently, tailoring topics and experiences to the needs of its local membership and industry community. The growing participation across all chapters reflects a broader focus on accessible, regional training that supports facility reliability, workforce development and safer operations.
Together, these chapters demonstrated that Maintenance Days are not defined by size or frequency, but by impact. Whether hosting one event or several, chapters across GEAPS continue strengthening local connections, sharing practical expertise and investing in professional development for the future of the grain and grain processing industries.