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player ready...A new development in Montgomery is a sugar lover’s dream come true.
A new $40 million sugar storage and transfer facility at 1601 Aucutt Road in the village includes a dome that will be filled with the sweet stuff. The 26,000-square-foot bulk-storage dome can hold 60,000 metric tons of sugar.
American Crystal Sugar Co. and United Sugars Corp. say the facility is unique. As it is not attached to a sugar factory, it will be the largest freestanding sugar storage facility of its kind in the nation.
In addition to the dome, which stands 134 feet high, the site will also include a 17,000-square-foot transfer facility. There is also room for a second dome on the property.
Contractors began work on the site in the fall and recently erected the inflatable dome.
Dome Technology’s Travis Benedict said project managers were waiting for the wind in the area to be 5 miles per hour or less for a two-hour period of time. Those were the conditions in the area around 4 a.m. March 28, when the dome was actually inflated.
“All the air is holding the dome up,” he said at the time, explaining that contractors are using rebar and concrete to make the dome into a hard-shell facility, one that will withstand Midwestern weather.
He said that in the beginning, the dome arrived at the facility in a large sheet. He said it was unrolled and then securely put into the ground. The inflating of the structure was done as the last step in the process before the actual concrete went in to make it secure.
Steven Hanson, director of marketing for United Sugars, said the storage facility will help better serve the needs of baking and candy companies in the region.
“The seasonal demand for sugar will help us get the product out to our clients when they need it,” he said.
Company officials said the Chicago market is vital to their business, and being able to send the sugar to customers quickly when they need it is key.
“Customer requirements change often, and this facility will allow us to quickly and easily respond to their needs and avoid interruptions in supply,” said Dirk Swart, executive vice president of industrial sales and marketing for United Sugars.
Hanson said there is a big reason the company decided to put a new facility in the Fox Valley.
“The sugar demand is growing,” he said.
The facility is set to begin operation later this year.
Judy Pochel is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.