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Custom Agri Systems a full-line material handling chain
By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

NAPOLEON, Ohio — Officials at Custom Agri Systems (CAS) wants everyone in agriculture to know just one thing: Their business is a full-line material handling company.

“Our company helps farmers get from Point A to Point B on the farm,” said Information Technology Manager Barry Ranzau. “No matter what it is, whether it’s with elevators, augers, conveyors or with setup storage facilities, we have what most farmers are looking for.”

CAS specializes in the setup, fabrication and repair of grain bins, grain drying, air systems, hopper tanks, elevators, portable augers, grain legs and conveyors. “We manufacture our own conveyors,” Ranzau added.

The company also offers crane services, grain-vac rentals, moisture testers and fabrication of all kinds. No steel fabrication task is too small or large for CAS. Repairs on electrical and mechanical components are offered by CAS, which has a large parts inventory.
CAS deals directly with commercial and farm electrical issues, and specializes in service and repair of all types of grain dryers. The company works to repair cables, grain system automation, bin level monitors, safety plug switches and indoor and outdoor lighting.
“We provide our customers with full electrical services, so we not only put up the grain bin, we’ll wire it up,” Ranzau said. “Even if you live in Florida, we’ll hook it up so you can get the grain temperatures in your bin in Ohio.”

No shortage of parts and small equipment here; there are grain spouting, flanges, elbows, clamp bands, pipe sleeves, cushion boxes, dead stops, transitions, pan valves, distributors, spout truss kits, roller gates, elevator buckets, elevator bolts, U-troughs, trough ends, hanger and bearings and a wide variety of roller chains and V-belts.

“When you look at CAS, you see we have everything a farmer needs. We even provide wind turbines,” Ranzau said. “We’ve been installing renewable energy products for more than five years for commercial, farm and residential customers.

“The wind turbines we install are utility-connected wind generators that hook up to your home or farm, and supplies 40 to 90 percent of one’s monthly electricity needs.”

CAS has a staff of professional millwrights trained to service the product line at this company.

With nine locations, one may expect added locations in the near future. “Right now, we’re stopping in Illinois,” Ranzau said.
CAS is a family-owned business owned and operated by Richard and Esther Storch Jr. The company started in 1982, offering millwright services to local area farmers and elevators. By 1987 the family moved operations to Napoleon. The company expanded from two to 10 employees and began to sell grain bins and parts.
By 2006 Custom Agri Systems grew to 60 employees at five locations. Today there are nine locations, with headquarters in Napoleon – other Ohio offices are located in Upper Sandusky and Attica.

CAS can be found in Coldwater, Mich., as well as the Indiana cities of Columbia City (Yagel Grain Systems, LLC), Frankfort (Custom Dryer Service, LLC) and Washington (Custom Agri Builders, LLC) and in Platteville, Wis. (Dennie’s Dryer Service, LLC) and Spring Valley, Ill. (Illinois Valley Agri Systems, LLC).

For more information about Custom Agri Systems, contact the main office in Napoleon, at 419-599-5180.
2/7/2013