Tri-States Grain Conditioning, Inc. • 800-438-8367 • http://www.TSGCinc.com
On the outside, many grain bins look alike, and all serve the same purpose of storing a commodity. What happens on the inside, however, is much more complex.
Closely monitoring stored grain quality makes a big difference, when it comes time to sell it. That’s where companies like Tri-States Grain Conditioning, Inc. (TSGC) come in to help grain elevator managers keep a close eye on grain quality and enable them to make corrections before it’s too late.
Headquartered in the Midwest, TSGC is one of the largest suppliers of grain temperature monitoring equipment in the world, with its administration, fabricating, sales, and service divisions located in Spirit Lake, IA. The company’s extensive product line includes wireless and satellite-based grain temperature monitoring systems as well as computer-based and portable systems. Whether it’s a large commercial operation or a family farm, TSGC offers a variety of products geared specifically to control energy costs, stop shrinkage, and help protect grain, as well as customers’ profits.
While TSGC is currently a multinational company with about 20 employees who ship products to more than 46 countries around the world, it began with a much smaller target in mind. Founded in 1982 by the husband-and-wife team of Rich and Barb Cook, the company set its sights initially on serving the tri-state area of Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota.
“Rich had been working in the grain industry and saw the need for a service- oriented company in grain temperature monitoring,” recalls General Manager Daniel Winkowitsch. “He had, at first, a vision of covering the tri-state area and felt if he could offer these services across three states, he would have a good business. That’s why he called it “Tri-States Grain Conditioning,” he explains. But shortly after opening the business in 1982, TSGC was serving all of the United States and many international markets. Darwin and Jo Winkowitsch bought the company in 2007 and have expanded the company, always keeping in mind the company’s goals of service and great products.
Given its international presence, Daniel says the company has considered changing its name over the years, because “Tri-States” doesn’t translate very well into other languages. However, given its brand recognition in the U.S. market, the company has stuck to its roots and kept its name, although it’s better known overseas by its acronym TSGC.
Daniel says that while domestic sales are always a priority, the company also has been focusing heavily on Central and South America for a couple of reasons. The first reason is proximity, but secondly, Daniel and his wife Luisa speak Spanish fluently. “We offer customer service in Spanish – it’s a huge benefit,” he says. Additionally, TSGC has had “good results” in the southern half of Africa, where it is continuing to expand.
While international markets hold a great deal of promise in terms of commercial grain business, Daniel says there’s a tremendous untapped opportunity for grain monitoring in the United States. “It’s been said that about 10% of the on-farm storage in America has some type of grain monitoring system in it; the other 90% is waiting to be tapped,” he explains. “That would mean there’s 12.5 billion bushels out there that are not monitored. It’s a big opportunity.”
Looking ahead, Daniel says TSGC will continue to focus on the domestic market here, working with commercial and on-farm storage helping farmers achieve their goals of quality grain preservation. “At the same time, we want to expand our footprint in the international market, which is primarily commercial storage. We’re growing internationally, and we’re doing it the same way we always have. That is by offering a quality product that is competitive on pricing and meets customers’ needs by utilizing the latest technology,” he says.
To that end, Daniel explains that TSGC embraces new technology and is quick to adopt it. However, what it won’t do is try to sell customers a piece of equipment they don’t need. The company also regularly partners with outside technology suppliers to integrate new solutions into its product lines.
TSGC has a number of flagship products, each with unique features and benefits that have earned a solid reputation in the grain industry. The company’s SafeTrack™ wireless system is a complete solution for monitoring commodity temperatures. The SafeTrack system provides simple, accurate, and fast grain monitoring and makes data analyzing, reporting, and archiving quick and easy.
TSGC’s GrainTRAC system reads and sends temperature data to a secure web page, where grain managers can remotely read temperature cables from any computer with internet access. GrainTRAC gives them the ability to monitor all of their bins on a daily basis without driving, climbing, or keeping handwritten notes – essentially removing the guesswork from grain storage.
“Our GrainTRAC system is communications-based on a cell phone modem, so we put the cables in the bin, and then we put in a unit that sends text messages to a platform accessed by the customer,” Daniel explains. “There’s also an app available for your iPhone or your Android device. Basically, you’re seeing everything remotely any place there’s internet or cellular service; you can see what’s happening in your grain bins or silos. That unit also allows you to start and stop fans remotely,” he adds.
TSGC also offers various hand-held, portable temperature monitoring devices as well as PLC compatible systems.
While TSGC products can stand on their own merits, Daniel says what ultimately has made the company a success in the industry is its focus on customers, which he says is second to none.
“The number one reason for our growth and success is going to be service,” he explains. “The second reason is responding to the customers’ needs. We start by asking them what they want to accomplish, and then we try to design a system for them and put it in their hands on time, every time.”
What that commitment to customer service looks like in practice is responding to customer quotes and answering emails within 24 hours whenever possible. “We’re not going to stop on a project until it works and it functions, to the customer’s satisfaction,” Daniel says.
At the core of this customer service philosophy is a very simple, well-known imperative: Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
“That is what we go back to when we’re dealing with customers,” Daniel says. “We treat them the same way, so that Golden Rule becomes an overarching culture in how we treat and work with others. It means that we deliver items on time because we would want items delivered to us on time, and we answer emails promptly because we would want our emails answered in a timely manner. I think that sums up our corporate culture,” he says.
At the end of the day, TSGC strives to live out its motto, “grain storage made better.” The company has done so for 35 years and will continue to do so in the future by offering affordable and reliable solutions utilizing the best technology available both here and abroad.
Reprinted from GRAIN JOURNAL January/February 2017 Issue
