MORRIS, ILLINOIS, US — FS Grain has unveiled plans to upgrade and expand its grain elevator in St. Anne, Illinois, US. As part of the expansion, FS Grain said it will add a new shuttle loader with mainline, Class I rail services provided by the Union Pacific and CSX.

FS Grain said the new shuttle loader is expected to transform the St. Anne location into a multimodal grain hub that will give area farmers better access to new markets in the southern United States and Mexico. The minimum throughput capacity for the new facility is expected to be 40 million bushels, the company said.

“We are excited to partner with Union Pacific and CSX to open these new market opportunities to our farmer customers,” said Cory Winstead, general manager at FS Grain. “At FS Grain, we’re always looking for ways to grow and innovate that give our farmer customers a competitive edge in the global grain market.”

JJ Sullivan, director of marketing and sales at Union Pacific, said the facility will strengthen the railroad’s grain origination base in northeast Illinois and provide additional supply options for Union Pacific’s grain customers.

“We have a great opportunity to install the latest technology available to give our customers a fast, accurate experience when they visit the St. Anne site,” Winstead said. “We’ll be able to load trucks and rail cars in the most efficient ways possible that save time and keep grain moving through our system, whether by truck or rail.”

FS Grain said it has enlisted Growmark Construction for the expansion project, which is expected to break ground later this year and be completed in about 18 months.

Headquartered in Morris, FS Grain comprises FS member cooperatives and Growmark to provide grain services in northern Illinois at its 19 locations.