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What do high-altitude research balloons and grain storage have in common? The answer dates back more than 60 years, when Sioux Falls, SD-based Raven Industries was formed.
The year was 1956, when four General Mills employees – J.R. Smith, Ed Yost, Duwayne Thon, and Joseph Kaliszewski – left the company to apply the knowledge they had acquired about polyethylene film by forming a business supplying plastic film and sheeting to the agricultural market, as well as manufacturing high-altitude polyethylene balloons used for research applications.
“The background of the company really was driven by the balloon industry, which General Mills at the time decided to no longer be involved with,” says Tom Stoebner, director of market development for Raven Engineered Films. He explains that polyethylene films were new to the market in the 1950s and were replacing canvas products, which represented a business opportunity for the company’s founders.
Raven started fabricating corn crib covers to keep ear corn dry until shelling as far back as 1959, and the company began manufacturing smaller on-farm grain storage systems in 1978. By 1984, Raven had introduced large grain covers for temporary bunker storage, as the needs in the market demanded larger products.
Today, Stoebner says Raven continues to be an innovative, technology-driven company consisting of over 900 employees across three individual business segments – Raven Aerostar, Raven Applied Technology, and Raven Engineered Films.
Raven Engineered Films has grown into a leading manufacturer of grain covering systems including a wide range of customized options that enhance ease of installation and provide reliable long-term protection. The company also produces specialty polymer film and sheeting products for a diverse range of markets, including construction, industrial, energy, geomembrane and agriculture.
Produced across four manufacturing locations totaling 605,000 square feet in Sioux Falls, Brandon, and Madison, SD; and Midland, TX, Raven’s agricultural film and sheeting products are used to cover large grain storage systems, line agricultural waste lagoons to protect the environment, contain fumigants in fruit and vegetable fields with gas barrier mulch and broadcast films and maximize feed value for dairies and cattle producers through the use of oxygen barrier silage covers.
One of reasons Raven has thrived for more than six decades is its solid commitment to identifying innovative solutions for its customers, says Stoebner.
“Our mindset from the beginning is identifying the best resolution we can provide to our customers,” he explains. We’re a very solution-based company.”
Raven invests in cutting-edge technology and utilzies the latest in state-of-the-art equipment and manufacturing processes – including blown and cast film and sheeting, lamination, scrim reinforcements, coating, and fabrication capabilities – in addition to an accredited testing and development facility.
Vertical integration enables Raven to develop and produce a highly engineered, scrim-reinforced grain cover system known as GrainMax™, which is manufactured by processing resin pellets into a finished high-strength material and then fabricating the finished material into a customized grain covering system ready for installation.
Stoebner notes that the company closely monitors technology advances in raw materials and processes to ensure it is delivering the very best products.
“We’re continually looking at product enhancements in our R&D group,” he says. “Value engineering our products to meet customer needs and price points is critical to our success.”
As a result of its commitment to innovation, Raven has developed a series of flagship products with a strong reputation in the marketplace, including sting-reinforced GrainMax™, part of the successful Dura-Skrim® family of reinforced materials, which has over 20 years of proven performance.
“The design and construction of this material contribute greatly to its success,” Stoebner explains. “The outer layers of GrainMax™ are extruded from select resins and additives designed to withstand demanding weather conditions by providing a pinhole-free construction, which is vital when covering grain. The outer layers are laminated together with a hot molten sheet and an inner layer of strong fiber reinforcement to resist tears and punctures.”
Raven also offers its Protector™ Series, a line of tear-resistant and lightweight grain covers, which are fabricated from woven coated fabrics made of oriented high-density polyethylene ribbons and outer layers of a resilient UV-stabilized coating. According to Stoebner, Protector™-reinforced polyethylene materials have an incredibly high strength-to-weight ratio resulting in superior tear-resistance and easy installation.
Due to the large overall size of today’s grain covers, multiple panel systems are required to meet the needs of temporary grain storage. Raven has introduced a RainFlap™ seaming system to help simplify installation and eliminate the need for sewn field seams, when joining panels together in the field. Each panel is designed and configured carefully, so it deploys correctly once placed on top of the grain pile minimizing handling. The RainFlap™ design utilizes grommeted edges that are joined easily with cable ties and is sealed with genuine Velcro®-brand fasteners. (Velco® is a registered trademark of Velcro BVBA.)
Since 2008, Raven has manufactured an optional internal secondary anchoring system for securing grain covers in case of power outages. Today, the company manufactures Fortress™ Internal Strapping Systems on many of the covers produced, says Stoebner, as customers are becoming more aware of the benefits of adding secondary protection in the marketplace.
Raven also produces strong WebNet™ external strap systems in standard and heavy-duty options as a reusable secondary production alternative.
“Our philosophy is to deliver a customized grain cover solution for all requirements – regardless of the size or the shape of the storage system,” he says. “The precise design and engineering experience we contribute to each customized solution is what sets Raven apart from the competition. All Raven covers are produced under our strict ISO-certified management system and shipped with complete layout and installation instructions specific to each cover design.”
Raven announced in November 2014 that it had reached an agreement to acquire Integra Plastics, Inc., as part of its Engineered Films Division. Headquartered in Madison, SD, Integra specialized in the manufacturing and conversion of high-quality polyethylene sheeting. According to Stoebner, Integra Plastics was well-known for its unique fabrication capabilities and brought skilled team members to further strengthen the Raven Engineered Films segment.
This acquisition aligned directly with Raven’s strategic vision. “Bringing Integra into Raven Engineered Films expanded our footprint with additional blown film and lamination capacity, as well as multiple fabrication facilities strategically located to better serve our customers,” notes Stoebner.
In 2015, Raven began offering to take return straps with a 50% discount. Raven now accepts return straps on a regular basis no matter where they were purchased, and offers a 50% discount credit towards a new strap order in the next year.
In summary, Raven’s tailored approach in the grain cover market is rooted in the company’s desire to provide each customer with a targeted solution.
Preseason early-buy stocking program. According to Stoebner, Raven is currently running a “pre-season early -buy special” that launched Jan. 1, 2017 and continues through April 30. “This program is offering some deep discounts direct from the manufacturer, unmatched by other retail suppliers,” he says.
GEAPS Exchange. “Raven is also exhibiting at GEAPS Exchange 2017 in Kansas City, MO, Feb. 26-28,” says Stoebner. “We invite everyone to stop by booth 1111 to visit with Jeany Hesse about their 2017 grain needs.”
Reprinted from GRAIN JOURNAL January/February 2017 Issue
