Bartlett Grain opens new export facility
The newly constructed facility significantly expands the company’s regional logistics network, connecting central Illinois agricultural producers to major river transport routes and international grain export markets.
USA – Bartlett Grain, a subsidiary of Savage, has officially opened its state-of-the-art grain handling and export terminal in Jacksonville, Illinois, strengthening the company’s grain origination and transportation network and expanding its ability to serve international markets, particularly Mexico
The 2.4-million-bushel facility, located near Sheffield, features high-speed grain load and unload capabilities, grain drying, and 110-railcar unit train capacity.
Construction on the facility began in March 2025, and it is expected to be ready to receive grain ahead of the fall harvest.
The site sits on the Union Pacific Railroad, which, in addition to serving domestic markets, will support Bartlett’s role as a leading US exporter of grain to Mexico. Its location also provides easy access to Illinois Highway 40 and Interstate 80.
Bill Webster, vice president at Bartlett, told World Grain that the company is a very substantial rail exporter from the US to Mexico, and that it owns and operates multiple rail-receiving grain elevators in Mexico.
Webster said the new Illinois facility will open more options for the region’s farmers, who already have many domestic outlets, by giving them an additional export option that is central to what Bartlett does.
Storage at the site is evenly split between six concrete silos with interstice storage, built by McCormick Construction, and two steel bins supplied by Sukup Manufacturing Co., according to Jacob Long, assistant vice president of projects and Mexico operations.
The facility’s three truck receiving pits each have a capacity of 20,000 bushels per hour, while rail load capacity reaches 60,000 bushels per hour. It also includes a 10,000-bushel-per-hour GSI grain dryer.
The new facility, located in Bureau County, is expected to create more than 25 permanent jobs and has already supported more than US$50 million in economic activity, along with additional jobs, during construction.
The site is strategically positioned in one of the largest corn-producing regions in the United States and sits within the Bureau-Putnam Counties Enterprise Zone.
Bartlett owns and operates grain handling and processing and flour milling assets across Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, North Dakota, Minnesota and North Carolina, as well as in Canada and Mexico.
Founded in 1907, the company has built an extensive network of storage and handling facilities throughout the Midwest, giving it deep market knowledge and logistics expertise to serve both grain producers and end users. Beyond grain merchandising, Bartlett also plays a growing role in the food and renewable fuel sector through its soybean processing capabilities.
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