ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, US — A multimillion-dollar expansion project will nearly double grain storage capacity to 610,000 bushels and add office and warehouse space at the South Carolina Farm Bureau (SCFB) Marketing Association’s elevator in Anderson, South Carolina.

The project, which broke ground on May 31, is funded by a partnership through the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Plans include three 90,000-bushel grain bins; a 2,000-bushel grain dryer; a 25,000-bushel wet tank; an unloading pit; two loadout bins; and the construction of a nearly 12,000-square-foot building to be used as an office, warehouse and retail store. Construction is scheduled to be completed by early 2025.  

“South Carolina Farm Bureau has always been committed to supporting the farmers of the Palmetto State, and the Anderson Elevator is a critical piece of infrastructure that provides a market upstate farmers wouldn’t have otherwise,” said Harry Ott, president, SCFB. “We are excited to work with SCDA on this project that will continue to grow the leading industry in South Carolina — agriculture.” 

The SCFB elevator is the only grain elevator in a 100-mile radius for area farmers. Currently, the elevator serves farmers in 13 upstate counties. Once construction is complete, the elevator will have the capacity to serve up to an additional nine counties across the state. Originally constructed in 1950, the grain elevator was purchased by the South Carolina Farm Bureau Marketing Association in 1967.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said South Carolina produced 52.5 million bushels of corn, 15 million bushels of soybeans and 5.5 million bushels of wheat in 2023.