Steel Markets
October 23, 2020
Behlen CEO Sees Strength in Ag Market
Written by Tim Triplett
The agriculture market in the Midwest is on course for a profitable year despite the historic pandemic and a historic storm earlier this summer. Farmers are in the fields more than halfway done with a successful harvest. Grain prices are decent and, combined with government subsidies, “it sounds like net farm income is going to be pretty good this year,” said Phil Raimondo, president and CEO of Behlen Manufacturing. Co. in Columbus, Neb. Behlen is a fabricator and manufacturer of metal buildings and products for the ag market such as grain bins and ranching equipment.
Parts of the Midwest are still recovering from the “derecho,” an unusually widespread and violent storm with 120 mph winds, rain and tornadoes that swept over a dozen states on Aug. 10-11, causing $7.5 billion in damage. Behlen saw a small uptick in sales of farm storage equipment following the storm, but it wasn’t a major factor for the company.
