USSEC Member Company The DeLong Company, Inc., one of the largest exporters of U.S. containerized grain, has broken ground for its first new facility west of the Mississippi River.  DeLong recently announced that it has purchased 8.7 acres in Edgerton, Kansas for the establishment of its new grain export facility.  The grain exporting operation will utilize the shipping containers arriving from the Port of Los Angeles / Long Beach that arrive in Kansas filled with products from Asia.  The grain exporting operation benefits from the need to return these shipping containers to Asia and filling the containers with grain is a efficient and beneficial choice.  The site is located at Logistics Park Kansas City (LPKC) and is adjacent to the entrance of BNSF Railway’s new $250 million Kansas City Intermodal Facility, which is currently under construction. 

According to Brandon Bickham, Export Sales Manager, DeLong’s target market will be the commodity food bean market in Indonesia and, to a lesser degree, Vietnam.  The export of U.S. soy will account for approximately half of DeLong’s business at the new facility.  Mr. Bickham stated, “This is a new direction for our company.  The difference is that this facility is further west and Mother Nature has been a bit less forgiving in that area the past couple of years in terms of drought.  Exports may initially be a bit up and down from this location, but we are optimistic and excited for this new opportunity.”