NEWS

logo.gif (1594 bytes)

NEWS

Press Releases NEWS PAGE COMPANY INDEX Press Releases

 

Design for popular PROBOX(TM) bulk seed handling system available to seed industry
Pioneer system offers growers improved efficiency and convenience
Des Moines, Iowa
March 11, 1999

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. today announced the company will make the design for its popular PROBOX* seed handling system available to the seed industry through Buckhorn, Inc., a leader in reusable plastic container and pallet systems.

probox.jpg (6922 bytes)The PROBOX system was first introduced to Pioneer customers in 1998 on a limited basis and is manufactured exclusively for Pioneer by Buckhorn. This action will allow Buckhorn to market the PROBOX system to others in the seed industry.

"Since the introduction of the PROBOX system, Pioneer and Buckhorn have received a great deal of interest in the design from others in the seed industry," says Mark Batchelder, director of production at Pioneer. "This demand stems not only from growers’ desires for greater ease and convenience in bulk seed handling, but the seed industry’s need to provide greater protection for today’s higher value seed. The ProBox container offers an effective solution to all these needs."

For 1999, more than 60,000 PROBOX containers will be used for delivery of bulk seed from Pioneer. Made of rigid, injection-molded plastic, the rectangular container holds 2,500 pounds or 50 "traditional bag" equivalents and can be moved and unloaded using a heavy-duty forklift or a forklift attachment for a tractor. It features a convenient, center drain hopper bottom that makes unloading simple and easy.

System Could Become Industry Standard

Nearly four years of product development and testing were completed before the first PROBOX container was released to Pioneer customers. Though it is not the only rigid-wall bulk seed container on the market, the innovative, state-of-the-art design of the PROBOX system has made it very popular among both producers and seed retailers.

"The PROBOX containers are great. They stack easily, and they are so easy to handle and unload, they are a great time-saver for me," says Tom Snodgrass, Pioneer seed representative from Brock, Nebraska. "This year, I’m expecting a number of my customers to move bulk seed to their farms using the PROBOX container. Even if they don’t have a watertight building for seed storage, the PROBOX containers are nearly weather tight and protect the seed from moisture as well as from rodents." The center discharge is also a valuable feature because it allows one person to safely remove part or all of the seed from the container, Snodgrass points out.

Another benefit that may arise from the PROBOX system becoming available to the entire seed industry is standardization of other transfer and handling equipment.

"The equipment industry has found it most beneficial to provide their customers equipment that fits the same standards for items such as a 3-point hitch and power take off shaft," says Mark Gabrick, district sales manager for Buckhorn. "We’re expecting continued growth in demand for bulk seed. One standard bulk seed container will make it easier for equipment manufacturers to create seed handling equipment that fits the container and meets the needs of growers for easy, convenient and safe bulk seed handling."

Buckhorn, a Myers Industries, Inc., company, designs and manufactures a broad line of reusable plastic bulk and hand-held containers, pallets and interior dunnage; and provides services ranging from system planning and implementation to project management and custom design. Buckhorn products and services meet transport, handling and storage needs for companies in the manufacturing, retail/wholesale distribution and food industries to help them reduce supply chain costs and improve efficiency.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., (NYSE-PHB) is the world's leading supplier of agricultural genetics and is the leading developer and integrator of agricultural technology. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer develops, produces and markets a full line of seeds, forage/grain additives and services to grain and livestock producers, grain processors and other customers worldwide.

* Trademark, registered or applied for, of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Des Moines, Iowa, USA

N1618

.0

Copyright © 1999 SeedQuest - All rights reserved