Growmark opens truck and tank facility in Illinois

The Growmark facility in Morton, Illinois, can perform testing on new and existing bobtails. Photo courtesy of Growmark.

Growmark Inc., a regional agricultural cooperative, opened a Growmark Truck and Tank Center in Morton, Illinois.

The 32,000-sq-ft. location, which includes office and shop space, is the company’s sixth location throughout Iowa and Illinois. Included at the site are 300 pressure vessels for anhydrous ammonia and propane.

“We are redefining the tank and trunk centers,” says Mike Davis, sales and operations manager at Growmark’s Morton facility. “The Morton facility is kind of the first step in the redevelopment of truck centers.”

Davis says the facility is built to support existing bottle fleet vehicles and will continue supporting new trucks and LP gas bobtails. The facility is centrally located in Illinois, and is easily accessed from the interstate, which Davis says is important to the company’s support system. The Morton facility has the land to expand as demand grows, Davis says.

“The key to the Morton facility is having a location that is large enough to house our parts, being able to have training for members and non-members and being close to our Bloomington [Illinois] home office,” Davis says.

At this facility, Growmark can perform visual, leakage, internal inspection and pressurizing testing on the annual and five-year basis as required. Vehicle maintenance from tire repairs to R-Stamp repairs, which is a welding certification the facility holds, can be done on-site. Propane bobtails can also be refurbished at the site, according to Davis.

“These series of tests are critical to have performed correctly so we can ensure the safety of the public being around these pressurized vessels,” says Davis.

Included at the location is a large supply of parts that can be picked up in person or shipped. Additionally, Davis says, the company plans to hold yearly training sessions on different disciplines from the industry.

The facility held an open house in November that showcased the equipment and the modern look of the location.