News “Bigger and Better:” Local leaders celebrate beginning of FS expansion

The impact of the New Century Farm Service on the Vinton area agricultural economy will be “even bigger and better,” says Mayor John Watson.

Mayor Watson and other area leaders joined FS general manager Jake Jacobs and many FS employees in a ground-breaking ceremony Thursday morning.

Work will being immediately at the site at the west end of 13^th Street; work on the buildings is expected to conclude by the end of June.

The new facility will serve all of Benton County, as well as eastern Tama and southern Black Hawk County, said Jacobs. It will also serve as a back-up facility for the Agvantage FS in Linn and Delaware counties.

Part of the Growmark network, which covers 31 states and Ontario, Canada (with customers including Wrigley Field, where FS provides the products used for turf management), FS provides a variety of agricultural products.

“Everything a farmer needs, we provide it,” says spokesperson Karen Jones. New Century FS, says Jones is a farmer-owned cooperative that provides seed, fertilizer and fuel products for a variety of agricultural purposes and entities.

FS has been in Vinton for approximately a half-century. Both Mayor Watson and Vinton Unlimited Director Nathan Hesson praised the business for its past success and its commitment to serving the Vinton area in the future.

“We are looking forward to working with FS for years to come,” Hesson said after the ground-breaking, at a luncheon hosted by VU at the Vinton Country Club.

The business will have six or seven full-time employees, as well as many part-time seasonal employees for the busy seasons.

Jacobs said that FS has had a long and good relationship with the city of Vinton. The central location, the availability of railroad service and that relationship are the reasons for choosing Vinton, he said.

Below is the summary of the project from the FS office:

New Century FS, headquartered in Grinnell, Iowa, broke ground today for a state-of-the-art agronomy and propane service center in Vinton, Iowa.

The new site will replace the current Vinton facility, and will also serve farmers in the Van Horne, Garrison, LaPorte City, Traer, and Toledo areas.  A 15,500 ton dry plant food building will be constructed, which can take deliveries from both truck and rail. The facility features a full-service, drive through UAN building and increased anhydrous ammonia storage capacity. A warehouse will hold crop protection products and seed.

“This new facility will allow New Century FS to continue to serve our existing farmer customers more efficiently,” said Jake Jacobs, New Century FS manager. “We are also looking to future growth and will increase our customer service from this location. Farmers can count on product supply and a team of experts who will be able to meet their needs.”

The office, shop, and warehouse buildings are scheduled to be completed in early July. The anhydrous ammonia and propane business will be handled this fall from the new location, and the entire project should be complete by the end of the year.

“We look forward to having an already successful business, which is so relevant to our local farming industry, expand their operations in Vinton,” said Nathan Hesson, Vinton Unlimited executive director. “We appreciate the partnership that has been created with New Century FS and the potential to work together for the good of their business and the community as a whole, for years to come.”  

New Century FS, a division of GROWMARK, is a full-service agronomy, energy, and grain cooperative serving customers in Benton, Blackhawk, Iowa, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Story, and Tama Counties. More information is available at http://home.newcenturyfs.com/