Page 4 - VT Vibe Newsletter June 2018 DRAFT

Steady improvements at PCC

lead to stronger results

It’s been 2½ years since Viterra signed This includes
an exclusive supply and marketing arranging crop tours
agreement with Pacific Coast Canola in for local farmers,
Warden, WA. Originally opened in 2013, and partnering The Pacific Coast Canola Plant
it’s the largest expeller-press canola with commercial and educational
processing facility in North America, institutions on research plots to generate All of this has clearly had a positive
producing a variety of healthy canola positive awareness about canola. But impact, as canola acreage numbers have
oils to meet demand from leading food more than that, there has been a strong been growing steadily over the last few
manufacturers and distributors. It also focus on providing customers with years in the PNW. There has also been
produces meal products that are sold flexible contracting opportunities, and consistent growth in the specialty oil side
into the dairy, cattle and other livestock working with commercial grain handlers of the business as the plant becomes
markets. to support longer term storage programs more efficient and capable of handling
for farmers. Improving logistics has also more tonnes.
Since then, the employees at the facility been a key focus.
have been working closely with members “While we’ve seen some success at the
of the Regina and Minneapolis teams “We’ve been focused on building plant, we still feel there’s a lot of work
to develop marketing opportunities for relationships with more local end users left to do,” says David. “We want to help
farmers in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) for oil and meal, and developing trucking the plant achieve its full potential, and
and expand the local canola market. markets for our products,” says Mark continue selling the benefits of canola to
Riou, Merchandising Manager. “We’ve local customers and building awareness
“One of our biggest initial challenges also made investments at the plant to about the benefits of doing business with
has been to educate farmers in the area improve our logistical efficiencies and Viterra. We’re confident that if we stick to
about canola and best practices when reduce line-ups by loading and unloading our strategy and work together that we’ll
growing the crop,” says David Smoot in a more timely fashion.” continue to improve.”
Vice-President US Merchandising. “By
having a dedicated agronomist and Operationally, improvements have also
customer account rep working out of the been made on improving oil extraction NEW BUILDS CLOSE TO
facility, we’ve started to shift farmer’s rates to be more competitive and COMPLETION
attitudes and have them recognize the continue growing the business. We’re approaching another
benefits of growing canola and doing milestone moment for our
business with Viterra.” asset network, with both of
our new builds at Wadena
and Vegreville very close to
New delivery scheduler coming soon completion.

At Wadena, we plan to start
Next week, we are launching an exciting transparency, and comes as a result accepting farmer deliveries
new service enhancement for our of careful research based on customer in early July, with first
customers. Our delivery scheduler and staff surveys, and a pilot that was shipments starting in mid-
is an in-house solution designed to conducted at ten of our sites last year. August. We plan to hold a
improve our customers’ experience at We’d like to take this opportunity to thank grand opening event there
our facilities by allowing producers to our team responsible for developing the in early October.
book their deliveries in advance and scheduler, as well as to the employees
help reduce lineups and wait times. It that provided their input and suggestions At Vegreville, we tentatively
also includes an alert option to remind to ensure that we provide our customers plan to start accepting
them of upcoming deliveries, and make with another value-added service option deliveries at the end of
changes if needed. when dealing with our company. Training September, with shipping
webinars are being offered next week, so to potentially start in mid-to-
The delivery scheduler will support our please watch your email for more details. late October.
weekly planning and allow for better

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