Stuart Beckman, director of safety for Columbia Grain International shares insights on empowering employees through hands-on safety practices. In this episode of the Feed & Grain Podcast, host Steven Kilger speaks with Stuart Beckman, the director of safety at Columbia Grain International. Drawing from over two decades of experience, including military service and safety leadership, […]

There were at least 27 cases of grain entrapment in the U.S. last year. OSHA recently added Missouri to the list of states where it’s emphasizing grain handling safety. It happened 14 years ago, but Todd Underwood with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has vivid memories of being called out to investigate the […]

In this Feed & Grain Chat, Stuart Beckman, director of safety for Columbia Grain International (CGI), discusses CGI’s recent safety initiatives, including partnering with a North Dakota workforce safety initiative, revamping their fumigation program, conducting safety assessments across their facilities, and implementing thermographic imaging for electrical hazards. Beckman highlights ongoing efforts to improve incident reporting, […]

We have a conversation with Columbia Grain President and CEO Jeff Van Pevenage as we get an update on pulse crops, PNW logistics and more.

High in protein and fiber and relatively inexpensive compared to meat, pulses are gaining favor among global consumers. And because of their natural soil-enhancing and greenhouse gas-absorbing properties, pulses also rank high among crops from a sustainability standpoint. In a recent report, Rabobank identified pulses as a crop that “creates opportunities for new and existing […]

Automation already is used in several areas of plant management. Tools such as Docusign and automatic invoice generation through enterprise resource planning software have already saved time in accounting and logistics. Many facilities in Europe have already implemented some forms of automation, such as automatic bagging, storage, and retrieval of product done entirely by machines, […]

It’s that time of year when farmers start cleaning out their bins, hauling the old crop to the elevators and inspecting bins and dryers to prepare for harvest. Jesse Zak, GSI district manager in North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota and northern Minnesota, said cleaning and inspecting grain bins and dryers, as well as checking for […]

Jeff Van Pevenage, president and CEO of Columbia Grain International, said Columbia Grain’s elevators and terminals across Montana and North Dakota are preparing for pulse and grain harvest. Harvest is underway in Montana with winter wheat (and in Washington and Idaho), but Colombia Grain is concerned about low protein winter wheat coming out of Montana, […]

Columbia Grain International (CGI), a supplier of conventional and organic bulk grain, pulses, edible beans, and oilseeds, has named industry veteran Stuart Beckman as director of safety. Beckman will ensure that CGI maintains a strict adherence to the company’s safety practices while also introducing a wide array of new programs and protocols designed to ensure […]