As fertilizer demand ramps up during the spring planting season, GROWMARK has completed major upgrades to its St. Louis dry fertilizer terminal aimed at improving speed and flow for truck shipments. Terminal Manager Jordan Flurke said the original facility, built in the late 1970s, was long overdue for modernization. “The system was built for 280 tons per hour. Now, we’re operating with two new systems capable of moving 600 tons per hour,” Flurke said, noting that trucks are now being turned around in less than half the time.
AUDIO: Featured Conversation with GROWMARK’s Jordan Flurke
Flurke added that the improvements include not just faster equipment, but also enhanced automation to streamline the check-in and check-out process. “Drivers will use GROWMARK’s Load Check app to scan a QR code at kiosks. That sends them straight to loading, and a new exit scale issues their bill of lading automatically,” he explained. Even without the automation fully online, the average time spent on-site has dropped from 20 minutes to around 11. During peak spring mornings, Flurke said they used to see trucks waiting for hours—now, lines that once lingered can be cleared within two hours.
The terminal handles a wide range of products, including urea, DAP, triple MEZ 10, and potash, with the majority of inventory arriving by barge and shipping out by truck. “Everything comes in by river, and our outbound loads go by truck,” Flurke said. The upgrades also addressed a bottleneck in the terminal’s scale system, which had previously forced all traffic to use a single scale for both entry and exit.
Flurke said the renovations are already paying off. With faster load times and improved traffic flow, GROWMARK is helping ensure producers get the fertilizer they need—when they need it. “We’ve cut time, reduced congestion, and made the whole experience more efficient for our customers,” he said.
