World Grain - June 2022 - 76

aren't just operations people, " Records said. " We want
grain merchandisers, people who work in human resources
and other non-operations employees to attend
the Exchange. "
If the feedback from exhibitors and attendees is any
indication, next year's Exchange in Kansas City will be
even larger than this year's event, Records said.
" I heard multiple people say that now that they know
what this is and where it will be, they're going to bring
10 to 12 more people next year, " he said. " That's the
kind of stuff we can build on. "
Suppliers discuss war impact
Whether they do business directly in the Black Sea
region or not, grain equipment suppliers attending the
2022 GEAPS Exchange said their companies were
feeling the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Projects in the Black Sea region have come to a halt
or are in limbo, and equipment and facilities have been
severely damaged. Outside of the region, the war is further
complicating supply chain issues and rising steel
prices.
Neuero, a ship loading/unloading company based in
Melle, Germany, said a ship loader it supplied at a port
in Ukraine was bombed in the conflict. The company
has active contracts in Ukraine and Russia. The project
in Ukraine was 40% delivered and now it's just laying
in the yard, said Andreas Hindenburg, executive director
of sales and projects.
" We have a project in Russia that we will deliver
next month, " he said, but the rapidly developing situation,
including transportation issues, makes it uncertain
whether it can be delivered.
Top: The Sioux
Steel booth
was buzzing
with activity on
the first day
of the trade
show.
Bottom:
Kirk Nelson,
international
sales manager
for Behlen,
speaks with
a delegate at
the company's
trade show
booth.
related to the pandemic. That included what is typically
a sizeable contingent from Canada.
Records said less than 10% of GEAPS' membership
is from outside North America, but the organization
hopes to raise that percentage in the coming years and
" to grow on a global basis. "
Another strategy designed to increase membership is
offering more educational programming that appeals to
industry professionals not involved in operations, although
most of the sessions are still operations oriented.
Records described it as " a small but dramatic shift on
the types of topics we train on. "
For instance, this year's conference included a human
resources educational track, including a session
on diversity and inclusion, as well as a session on the
growing importance of cybersecurity at grain facilities.
" We are looking to draw attendees and members that
76
Delivery issues exist in other parts of the world as
well, said Jack Fox, sales manager for Neuero. Two unloaders
destined for Canada are mostly complete and
nearly ready to ship.
" Shipping costs have almost doubled, " he said.
" These are being shipped completely built so it's a big
chunk of money. We had an unloader in the Philippines
that lost some electrical components in a typhoon. You
can't get them. What used to be a four- or five-week
delivery is now six months. "
The immediate situation right now is the war in
Ukraine, but challenges remain from the pandemic.
" We had two whammies at the same time, " Fox said.
" One was starting to get better we thought, and then
the war starts. "
The Black Sea has been a strong market for Behlen,
which supplied 250 bins with 53 million bushels of
storage at Ukrainian ports and inland, said Kirk Nelson,
sales manager international. It also has bins at three or
four Russian ports.
Nelson said he doesn't know of any damage for cerJune
2022 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - June 2022

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