World Grain - November 2020 - 76

SUPPLIER NEWS

4B receives exporter award
MORTON, ILLINOIS, US - 4B Components received the
exporter of the year award as part of the Turner Center for
Entrepreneurship 2020 Small Business Awards.
The Turner Center awards honor Illinois companies that
achieved excellence in exporting, as well as organizations that
provide export assistance.
Stephen Standifird, president of Bradley University, and
Jim Foley, director of the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship,
Small Business Development Center & International Trade
Center at Bradley University, presented the award.
Over the years, 4B has remained in ongoing interaction with
the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center (ITC) at Bradley
University, said Jonathan Wheat, president of 4B.
"The ITC has been a valuable resource by providing guidance and training to our staff on international trade documentation requirements and tariff classification, by keeping
4B informed of state-sponsored loan opportunities and international trade reimbursements, and by including 4B into its
network of university trade centers in the Midwest," he said.
A focused export strategy and ongoing investments in innovation have driven 4B's significant international growth, the
company said.
"We continue to invest in this area by adding to our very
talented international team of sales engineers," Wheat said.

From left: Stephen Standifird, president of Bradley University; Dinah Soler,
sales representative, 4B Latin America; Johnny Wheat, president, 4B USA;
Nilton Brasil, sales manager, 4B Latin America; and Jim Foley, director of
the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship, Small Business Development Center
& International Trade Center at Bradley University.

"We look forward to increasing our manufacturing capabilities and expanding our facility in Morton. We have enough
acreage to double our existing manufacturing and warehousing space."

AGCO to acquire research, development firm
DULUTH, GEORGIA, US - AGCO announced in
September that it is acquiring 151 Research, a research and
product development firm, to create new technology solutions
for grain customers.
AGCO and 151 Research previously had an exclusive technology partnership to develop GSI GrainViz precision grain
monitoring, which gives growers and commercial operators
insight into the moisture content of the grain in their steel storage bins.
The acquisition will allow AGCO to continue development
of GrainViz and expand into new solutions.
"Our grain customers are facing significant challenges due
to difficulty finding labor, low commodity prices and tight
margins," said Stefan Caspari, AGCO senior vice president

and general manager of grain and protein. "We need the sharpest minds working on finding answers to these challenges, and
we believe this acquisition will help improve our customers'
operations through smarter technology.
"We are excited about the continued development of
GrainViz and look forward to creating a connected experience
across the entire grain system to increase efficiency and profitability for our customers."
AGCO said it intends to retain the firm's 45 current employees and to maintain the Winnipeg, Canada, office as the smart
grain technology center of excellence.
The team is completing an initial release of GrainViz in a
limited number of bins this fall. A broader launch is planned
prior to the 2021 harvest.

Founder of Bratney Companies dies at 94
URBANDALE, IOWA, US - Kenneth Eugene Bratney, 94,
founder of Bratney Companies, died Sept. 27 after illness due
to the coronavirus (COVID-19).
After working several years as a sales engineer for an agricultural equipment supply and design firm, Bratney started his
own business in 1964. He started the Ken Bratney Company
in his basement with his wife Ann, who preceded him in death
in 2015, acting as secretary.
During the seed corn and soybean facilities construction boom
of the late 1960s and 1970s, he merged with other compatible

companies to expand the business' capabilities. The business
continued to prosper, encompassing the needs of most agricultural crops throughout the United States, Europe and South
America. Bratney Companies is a well-known provider of
equipment and project solutions for agricultural facilities. It
has offices, branch offices, or warehouse operations in Iowa,
Missouri, Idaho, North Dakota, California and Argentina.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions in Bratney's name be directed to Hope Ministries of Des
Moines, PO Box 862, Des Moines, Iowa 50304.

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World Grain - November 2020

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