The SRX commitment to the right products in the right places at the right times
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Logistics is a huge part of our business at Two Rivers Terminal and SRX Sulfur. That’s why it was a big deal for us when we were recently named one of Bechtel’s top suppliers in its 2022 Global Supplier Awards. The national engineering and construction company recognizes its suppliers and contractors in a range of industries who contribute most to its projects around the world. We’re proud to be on the list.
It's just the latest demonstration of how important logistics are to how we work every day, especially when it comes to getting SRX Sulfur into the hands of growers around the western U.S. It’s something I think about every day, and our customers can continue to count on us prioritizing not just quality sulfur products but getting them when and where they need them. You can count on it.
Forrest Ridgway, Two Rivers SRX Sulfur Sales Manager
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The sulfur journey’s a quick trip with SRX Sulfur and Two Rivers Terminal
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No trucks. Delayed deliveries. Unavailable product. They’re all logistics issues facing a lot of U.S. industries right now, and nationwide solutions to some of those problems aren’t expected anytime soon. Fortunately, the team at Two Rivers Terminal, LLC, has taken the steps necessary to manufacture SRX Sulfur products to the highest quality specifications and ensure it gets to customers when and where they need it despite the hurdles obstructing such progress for other companies.
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A manufacturing facility in Moses Lake, Washington, and network of trusted trucking companies and ag retailers enable Two Rivers to facilitate the timely distribution of SRX Sulfur, including sulfur bentonite, elemental sulfur and SRX Thrive, an exclusive mix of sulfur and urea that promotes optimal crop uptake throughout the growing season. This ensures growers have the sulfur nutrition their crops need to maximize its benefit to crop yield and quality.
"Our Moses Lake plant is centrally located and we have a big advantage in our ability to store material,"; said SRX Sulfur Sales Manager Forrest Ridgway. "That helps us with on-time delivery. We take that very seriously."
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It starts with the right products
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But before a wheel even turns, the whole process starts in that Moses Lake facility. Under the guidance of company leaders like Ridgway and Plant Operations Manager Montie Welker, the journey to getting SRX Sulfur onto farms around the western U.S. starts off on the right foot because of the people who make its production their livelihood.
"I know that my guys who work in that area take pride in their work, and they make sure that the product meets the exact specifications every time," Welker said. "If it isn’t, they’ll make the changes they have to make to get the product right. They’re dedicated to their jobs."
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Industry connections pay off
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Two Rivers overcomes some of the regulatory and logistical challenges facing the transportation sector by how it works with trucking and logistics partners. It’s an effort that pays off all the way to the farm gate.
"We have developed good relationships with trucking companies who know our geography and customers well," said Two Rivers Terminal Sales and Procurement Manager Mark Midtlyng.
The Two Rivers team has similar connections with the ag retailers who transport SRX Sulfur products "the last mile" to expedite timely field applications.
"Some retailers may be servicing a farm 300 miles from their location. So if a retailer calls us and asks to have a load delivered to a farm versus one of their locations, we’ll do it," Ridgway said. "We have the ability to make that happen. I don’t know many suppliers who will jump on it with no big issue."
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Why SRX Thrive adds efficiency
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Those logistics become even more streamlined when the payload is SRX Thrive. Because growers only apply around one third of the amount of elemental sulfur to make the nutrient adequately available to crops, that volume creates new efficiencies through the entire process of getting the product where it needs to be.
"With Thrive, you’re taking up a third of the space in the bin, a third of the space on trucks and you need a third of the time and manpower to load and unload trucks," Ridgway said. "Some retailers might say that means 60% less margin for them because they’re moving 60% less material. But when you start talking about the agronomic benefits, you level the playing field quickly compared to other sulfur sources."
Want to learn more about the advantages of SRX Thrive and other sulfur products?
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Steve Peot: From sweeping floors to driving SRX Sulfur’s future
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When started working his way into the fertilizer business in the mid-1980s, it only took Steve Peot about nine months to go from working in a warehouse, offloading rail cars and loading trucks to managing a new facility. As he nears the 20-year mark as Two Rivers Terminal General Manager, Peot says that operational experience has been formative to how he stays connected to his workforce and customers, both of which are fundamental to success in an industry that’s seeing massive change.
"Quite honestly, I don’t think I could have spelled fertilizer at that point,"; Peot says, reflecting on his earliest days in the industry. "I’ve done everything from sweeping the floors to running a business and setting its direction. I have the advantage of having had a lot of different experiences."
Today, Peot leverages his diversity of experience in leading Two Rivers Terminal, specifically in ensuring SRX Sulfur is the preferred provider for ag retailers and large crop growers around the western U.S. To him, it’s a balance between smart, efficient logistics and thinking ahead to how today’s products evolve to meet changing grower and retailer needs in the future.
"I don’t have much interest in creating the next molecule. I want to produce things that are known chemistries and I want to have a competitive advantage by having in-market manufacturing rather than trucking across 4 states to get it to our customers," Peot says. "Further upgrading our current sulfur products is absolutely on our short list, including market diversification by product, geography and industry."
Moving forward, that effort will continue to depend on the experience and expertise of the team Peot has assembled to continuously improve SRX Sulfur products and demonstrate their value to customers. Effectively maintaining necessary supplies for customers is a short-term priority, just as continuously advancing the SRX Sulfur product line is a long-term objective. The common thread running through those and other priorities for Peot is his emphasis on what he learned early on in his career in the fertilizer business.
"I will continue to look to build and maintain trust with our customers more than anything," he says. "I want them to always know when they buy from us, they’ll get quality at a fair price and when they need it."
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