![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Scranton-Photo-04.jpg\")
The new slip-form elevator anchors Scranton Equity Exchange\u2019s broader expansion in southwestern North Dakota, designed to position the cooperative for decades of growth.
\nCredit: Scranton Equity Exchange<\/p>\n
The new slip-form elevator anchors Scranton Equity Exchange\u2019s broader expansion in southwestern North Dakota, designed to position the cooperative for decades of growth.
\nCredit: Scranton Equity Exchange<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-23-150334.png\")
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In early December 2025, Scranton Equity Exchange reached a defining milestone in its $23 million expansion project. Over eight consecutive days and nights, the concrete structure for a 630,000-bushel, four-pack slip elevator rose from the ground, jacked upward 1 inch at a time, 24 hours a day, without pause.<\/p>\n
By Dec. 8, the concrete silos stood complete, marking a critical phase in what has become a transformational expansion for the cooperative.<\/p>\n
Slip-form construction, a method with roots stretching back to the Peavey-Haglin Experimental Concrete Grain Elevator in Minnesota in 1899, is one of the most demanding processes in agricultural construction. Unlike conventional formwork that advances in steps, slip forming is a continuous operation: Once the pour begins, it cannot stop. The mold rises slowly and without interruption. The continuous pour leaves the finished wall with no cold joints, the seams between separate pours that can weaken a structure or let moisture through. That structural integrity is one of the primary reasons slip forming remains the preferred method for large-diameter concrete grain elevators.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen this thing gets going, it\u2019s the most amazing thing you\u2019ll ever see,\u201d says Jim Gales of Gales Design & Consulting, an ag EPCM and owner\u2019s representative firm that has overseen more than 25 slip elevator projects.<\/p>\n
The precision required is relentless. Concrete must set at a controlled, predictable rate throughout the pour. In early December in North Dakota, with temperatures dropping and conditions shifting overnight, maintaining that consistency demands experienced judgment at every hour of the operation.<\/p>\n
Fewer than 10 dedicated slip-form crews are active in the United States today. Fewer still take pours through a North Dakota winter. Vigen Construction is one with the experience to run that work.<\/p>\n
The real story isn\u2019t just the slip going up. It\u2019s why it was built and what it represents for the cooperative\u2019s members, employees and future.<\/p>\n
The Vision<\/p>\n
When Ben Hetzel joined Scranton Equity Exchange as general manager three years ago, the board was ready to invest in the cooperative\u2019s future. Together, they have undertaken a strategic transformation: updating bylaws, engaging members through town hall meetings and now completing a major facility expansion that positions the co-op for decades of growth.<\/p>\n
The expansion had been discussed for more than a decade before the board moved forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe board and I had been talking about an expansion project that would be a game changer for us,\u201d Hetzel recalls. The expansion wasn\u2019t just about adding storage capacity. The board weighed every decision against three questions: How does\u00a0this improve service to member-owners? How does it affect employees? How does it position the cooperative for the next 50 years?<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Scranton-Photo-01.jpg\")
The new 630,000-bushel four-pack slip-form elevator stands beside Scranton Equity Exchange\u2019s existing facility in Scranton, North Dakota.Designing For People, Not Just Capacity<\/p>\n
Designed as a fully integrated system, the expansion addresses immediate operational needs while building in flexibility for growth.<\/p>\n
Project Includes:<\/p>\n
One new 630,000-bushel, four-pack concrete slip elevator with additional cleaning bin capacity and a storage reclaim systemDual receiving pits handling 25,000 bushels per hour, with a new receiving building, upgraded fill drags and manlift access to the top of the legsOne new bulkweigher handling 100,000 bushels per hour, with dual process legs and high-capacity screenersOne high-speed rail loadout facility for faster unit train loadingEnhanced conveyor systems connecting new and existing facilities, including replacement equipment on existing structuresElectrical and automation systems with provisions for a future grain dryer and additional storage capacity<\/p>\n
The most meaningful improvement for the overnight crew is what happens at the loadout. The new high-speed loadout system will cut unit train loading from about 11.5 hours to less than seven. It will also reduce the overnight crew from as many as nine people to three or four, easing pressure on employees facing tight railroad timelines.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re asking a lot of these employees to get up in the middle of the night, go load train, and try to meet that time limit that the railroad has on them,\u201d Hetzel explains. \u201cBy putting in a new loadout, you can eliminate a lot of that angst and constraint on your manpower. Every decision we make is weighed against how good of service are we going to provide and how does it change the way we transact business with our member ownership, but also how does it affect our employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Planning For What Comes Next<\/p>\n
The facility wasn\u2019t designed solely to meet today\u2019s needs. From the outset, the layout included provisions for future corn handling and a grain dryer. Additional storage bins can be added without modifying the main facility.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can put up another 2.6 million bushels of storage without doing anything,\u201d Gales explains. \u201cIt\u2019s all plug and play.\u201d<\/p>\n
As construction progressed, Hetzel walked members through the site to show them what was taking shape.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the different patrons that I took up and showed them what we were doing, they\u2019ve all come down and said, \u2018Well, this is a once in a lifetime,\u2019\u201d he recalls. \u201cAnd I just look at them, I\u2019m like, I hope not. Because if I\u2019m going to spend a fair amount of my career here, I don\u2019t think this is the end of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Scranton-Photo-05.jpg\")
An aerial view of Scranton Equity Exchange\u2019s expanded facility outside Scranton, North Dakota. The new $23 million slip-form elevator rises behind the cooperative\u2019s working operation.![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Scranton-Photo-02.jpg\")
The road into Scranton, North Dakota, leads to Scranton Equity Exchange\u2019s expanded facility. Residents in nearby Bowman have begun calling the new slip elevator the \u201ccastle on the prairie.\u201dAn Investment Backed by\u00a0the Membership<\/p>\n
The $23 million decision wasn\u2019t made in a boardroom alone. Before the board moved forward, Hetzel brought the proposal to the growers who own the cooperative.<\/p>\n
Hetzel held town hall meetings in two separate sessions, laying out the full scope of the proposal and asking the members what they thought. The response across both groups was clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere wasn\u2019t one person that said that\u2019s ridiculous, you guys are crazy,\u201d Hetzel recalls. The board basically walked out of there knowing that they had the support of the members. They wanted this and they needed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Right Team For the Job<\/p>\n
The partnership between Hetzel and Gales Design & Consulting stretches back 15 years and across at least five projects together. It started with a contractor. He recognized the complexity of what was needed and pointed Hetzel toward Gales. \u201cGo talk to Jim and come back to me when you\u2019re done,\u201d the contractor said. He did.<\/p>\n
Working as the owner\u2019s representative, Gales Design & Consulting managed the design process, coordinated engineering teams, led the bidding process and oversaw construction on Scranton Equity\u2019s behalf. That work included a thorough assessment of what the cooperative needed, from equipment specifications and material flow patterns to future expansion provisions. Establishing realistic budget expectations early, before committing to engineering or design decisions, gave the cooperative the clarity to plan with confidence. It also avoided the costly scope changes and change orders that derail projects mid-construction.<\/p>\n
![\"Construction](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Scranton-Photo-03.jpg\")
Construction crews work alongside Scranton Equity Exchange\u2019s existing operation as the $23 million expansion progresses.![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Scranton-Photo-06.jpg\")
The 630,000-bushel four-pack slip-form elevator under construction at Scranton Equity Exchange. Four concrete cores form the centerpiece of the cooperative\u2019s $23 million expansion.<\/p>\n
That experience showed up throughout the project, from anticipating board questions to making sure key decisions were vetted before they reached the board.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really appreciate Jim being alongside on this because not only have he and I done some projects together, but he\u2019s been down the road,\u201d Hetzel says. \u201cHe called me up one meeting before a meeting and he said, \u2018Just be prepared because you\u2019re going to get asked about this loadout.\u2019 And so we talked through it and it didn\u2019t take any of us long to see the value in that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Building It Right<\/p>\n
Gales ran a competitive bid that drew multiple qualified contractors. Scranton Equity Exchange selected Vigen Construction to execute the slip-form pour, Hope Electric to build the electrical and automation systems, and Mulder Engineering to design them. Hetzel had built his first slip with Vigen\u2019s superintendent, Scott, years earlier. Vigen put the same man on Scranton.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t say enough about Jeff and the leadership with him and Scott,\u201d Hetzel says. \u201cThey worked extra weekends and overtime to get us to this point this fast.\u201d
Once construction started, daily management mattered as much as the original design. The cooperative kept handling its normal grain volume, loading trains and taking trucks, while a $23 million build rose alongside it. GDC coordinated the work, so it stayed out of the operation\u2019s way.<\/p>\n
Mike Heinen, vice president of construction management at Gales, leads the firm\u2019s construction arm and runs coordination among contractors on Scranton. He came up through ag construction estimating and project management. His job is driving the schedule, scope and budget. A lot of that work happens upstream, where issues get caught and resolved before they reach the owner.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have construction calls that GDC keeps very dialed in and running smooth,\u201d Hetzel explains. \u201cIt\u2019s not a big-time consumption on my part, which is critical. I don\u2019t have excess time necessarily to be wasting talking on calls that just get long and daunting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Slip and What\u2019s Next<\/p>\n
By Dec. 8, the four-pack slip elevator stood complete. For Hetzel, the moment was more than a construction milestone.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, the big reward is seeing it standing here today,\u201d Hetzel says. \u201cSure, that\u2019s a monument out there. But the true reward is the day we get to start dumping trucks through it and watching the joy of the producers seeing this come to fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n
That day is still ahead. The broader project has continued through the winter and spring of 2026. Fill equipment installation is underway, including the receiving leg and fill conveyors. Work continues on the high-speed rail loadout spout, the electrical and automation systems, and the programming that will tie it all together.<\/p>\n
As of May 2026, Heinen said the project remained on schedule.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn track to finish before harvest season,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Future Focused<\/p>\n
For the cooperative\u2019s member-owners, the expansion is more than added capacity. It is a build designed to grow with them. Once operational, the new facility will carry Scranton Equity through the next generation of growers, with room to keep growing.<\/p>\n
Residents in nearby Bowman have begun calling the structure the \u201ccastle on the prairie.\u201d<\/p>\n