Help farmers Gateway FS Construction Services seed treatment systems

Project Profile: Helping A Client Help Farmers

One of the things we like most about our work at FS Construction Services is that we never know just how far our services will extend or how many people will be affected by the job we do. Often, the clients we work with are the direct beneficiaries of the new or upgraded equipment and structures we install. Every now and again, though, we get to do work where the people who benefit most from it could be people we never even meet.

Over the course of three days this spring, we got to meet and work with a local business whose primary goal is to help farmers find the right seed, planting patterns, and data to ensure they can have success year in and year out. One of their many services involves treating customers’ seed, which is why we installed a brand-new LPV box-to-box seed treater. This treater, equipped with 4.0 automation and a dry additive feeder, will be able to treat anything their clients need.

Our Seed Treatment Specialist not only worked with our client to find the right setup, but also provided extensive training and support after the new equipment was installed to guarantee our clients were comfortable and proficient with the new system, which in turn will allow them to best help their clients.

Thanks to our many wonderful partners like USC and Meridian Manufacturing, we are able to provide top-notch seed system equipment for all your seed treatment needs. Additionally, if you are in the market for grain storage, grain drying, grain handling equipment or agricultural structures, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

seed treatment Gateway FS Construction Services

Project Profile: Seed Treatment Has Never Been Easier

At FS Construction Services, we get to do a lot of different types of projects and, naturally, work with a lot of old and new equipment and technology. And while retrofitting, upgrading, or completely overhauling old seed treatment equipment certainly has its ups and downs, especially when it comes to teaching and learning new technology, it’s also a lot of fun.

Such was the case earlier this year when we got to work with a client on a complete seed treatment facility upgrade. Over the course of three days, we updated an existing box-to-box system to a full service binsite. We added four 3000 unit Meridian bins as well as a 300 unit weigh hopper which can continuously treat from boxes, bags, or bulk seed bins.

In addition to that, we got to install the new 4.0 binsite window base automation. This new technology allows for navigation of the entire site from a single screen. We understand that it’s common for these sorts of things to come with steep learning curves, which is why we have worked hard to make sure our experts are as well prepared as they can possibly be. Our Seed Treating Solutions Specialist stayed on site to provide extensive user training and support for this new system. We worked with this client from the conception phase, answering any questions they had, and advising them on the right kind of equipment to ensure they were getting exactly what they needed and knew how to use it.

If you are in the market for any kind of seed system or grain storage, grain drying, or grain handling equipment, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

FS Construction Services USC seed treatment systems savings

Huge Summer Savings on Seed Treatment

For many folks in the Midwest, it’s felt like it’s taken forever for summer to finally arrive. Now that it’s officially here, hopefully we’re in store for some sunny days and lots of time with family and friends. We know for many of our clients in the farming community this has been a tough year, and we wholeheartedly hope it improves from here on out. While we wish we could guarantee strong yields and cooperative weather, we can, at the very least, let you know of a pretty nice summer offer if you’re in the market for a new seed treatment system.

Thanks to our partners at USC Seed Treating Solutions, you have a couple of savings options available to you if you’re looking to upgrade your seed treating equipment.

  1. Additional Discounts: Any order that’s placed between June 17 and July 31 and scheduled to ship before November 1 will receive up to a 30% discount.
  2. LPX Lite Package Deal: This deal includes an LPX Lite Treater, an LIW Stand or 80 Unit Tall Hopper, two to four PS40 Series Pump Stands, up to two Conveyors, and an optional Hopper with Bag Cutter. If ordered between June 17 and July 31, this package will receive a 35% discount.

Our Seed Treatment Solutions Specialist, says, “This is a great time of year to take advantage of these deals and upgrade old equipment to be ready for the next season.”

If you’re interested in a new seed treatment system and want to save some money, please feel free to reach out to Gateway FS Construction Services. You can give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Gateway FS Construction Services

How Seed Treatment Benefits Corn and Soybeans

At FS Construction Services, we’ve noticed just how rapidly the use of seed treatment has increased over the years. In fact, we recently dedicated an entire three-month series to seed treatment and its general benefits. However, we thought it might be helpful to focus a little more specifically on how seed treatment can benefit corn and soybeans.

By coating the actual seed with micronutrients, insecticides, or fungicides, the issues that come along with erosion and dust off are largely avoided. In a recent article published in Farm Progress, a grower with 40+ years experience noted, “I can plant earlier, cold or wet soils, and I’m protected. I get higher yields and by planting earlier in the spring and I have drier corn in the fall… I don’t have to broadcast pesticides anymore. Seed treatments have changed my management practices.”

Similarly, in another Farm Progress article on the benefits of seed treatment on soybeans, the author states, “One very tangible benefit to a complete seed treatment package occurred this year when many growers were able to plant their bean crops two to three weeks earlier than normal.”

Of course, it’s not just about planting early, and any new or additional technology added to the process increases upfront investment, but the growers we’ve spoken with agree that the payoff is way greater than the investment. The general consensus on seed treatment for corn and soybeans is that seed treatment creates better crops at a higher yield. Referencing the above article again, “We’ve used seed treatments on soybeans for five years, and did side-by-side tests the first two years… We’ve seen a consistent yield increase of between 2 and 5 bu./acre.”

Now we understand that there are no magic wands in this business, but the technological advances of agriculture in recent years are pretty remarkable. As for seed treatment, it will only continue to get more precise and more efficient as time goes on. Better and newer software makes consistent results easily achievable, and there is more equipment than ever to find the right match for you.

If you have any questions on seed treatment, or you would like to look at one of the many seed treaters our partners have available, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

FS Construction Services seed treatment equipment

Seed Treatment Services #3 of 3: FSCS Seed Treatment Equipment

With spring on the near horizon and planting season just around the corner, FS Construction Services is going to take a look at one of our most popular services, Seed Treatment, and highlight a different aspect of that service. For this third month, we are going to cover seed treatment equipment.

We know that no operation is the same and that seed treaters come in all different shapes and sizes, from tabletop to larger capacity to commercial options to portable treaters. For this reason, we have established a number of partnerships over the years so no matter the amount of seed that needs treating, we have the right equipment to get the job done. One of the most common treaters we install, the LP-series by USC, come in a variety of makes, models, and customizations, assuring the equipment will suit your needs. Additionally, our seed treatment specialists have pretty much done and seen it all and are able to provide advice and guidance on purchasing and installation decisions.

However, when it comes to seed systems, FS Construction Services does much more than installation. While we often work on projects where we are dealing with brand-new equipment, we are also able to retrofit parts of older systems with newer parts to improve consistency, functionality, and longevity.

Speaking of new equipment, increasingly seed systems are relying on new technology and automation to help ensure accurately-coated batches time after time. We also understand that some of these new systems come with a steep learning curve, which is why our specialists will stay however long is needed after installation to help ensure clients how to interface with their new hardware and software for the best possible outcome.

If you have any questions or inquiries about seed treatment, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Gateway FS Construction Services seed treatment services

Seed Treatment Services Series #2 of 3: Benefits of Seed Treatment

For the first few months of this new year, FS Construction Services is going to take a look at one of our most popular services, Seed Treatment, and highlight a different aspect of that service each month. For this second month, we are going to cover some of the unique benefits of seed treatment.

Seed treatment is the quickly growing practice of treating seeds with specific compounds to achieve specific outcomes before they are planted. The purpose of this could be to protect the seeds from pests or to simply provide additional nutrients directly to the seed. With the continued advancement of seed treating technology, it’s possible to treat massive quantities of seed with precise applications that stay consistent from batch to batch, making it a much more achievable process than ever before. For many growers, the benefit-to-cost ratio sways greatly towards benefit!

As you can imagine, seeds that aren’t busy fighting insects or rot are much more likely to grow into healthy, bountiful plants. This is particularly true of seeds planted in colder, damper soil, where rot and pest problems are more likely to occur. However, the application process itself provides benefit beyond just overarching protection. Specific seed-by-seed treatment is far more efficient and effective than soil treatment, where basic erosion can decrease the amount of treatment that actually reaches the seed.

We at FS Construction Services are uniquely qualified to help you decide what kind of seed treatment services you may need. Along with our partners at USC and Meridian, we have the seed treatment knowledge necessary to help you determine the best seed treatment solution for you.

If you are interested in learning more about seed treatment or you would like to look at our seed systems, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Seed Treatment 1

Seed Treatment Services #1 of 3: Overview

For the next few months of this new year, FS Construction Services is going to take a look at one of our most popular services, Seed Treatment, and highlight a different aspect of that service each month. For our first month, let’s start with an overview of how our Seed Treatment services can help you.

Seed treating is not just a delicate process, but something that, thanks to modern technology, has become increasingly precise. With increased precision comes increased expectation of an exact product, which is why we’ve partnered with the best manufacturers around, whose equipment is capable of producing consistent, repeatable results year after year. Our partners at USC and Meridian Manufacturing provide everything from tabletop lab treaters to portable treaters to large, commercial treaters. Our job is to know their equipment inside and out so we can work with it in any desired capacity, which is probably why we were awarded USC Dealer Rookie of the Year in 2018.

Of course, producing accurately-treated seed is no good if it can’t be handled, transferred, or stored safely and properly. Beyond treaters, FS Construction Services has not only partnered with the three previously-mentioned manufacturers, but also Schuld/Bushnell to provide conveyors, hoppers, and bulk storage systems to make sure the seed can get where it needs to go and to ensure the hard work of treating isn’t lost in the shuffle.

Seed treatment is a unique job that entails a microscopic attention to detail done at macro levels of quantity. But we also know that no two operations look the same. So whether you’re talking about a small operation moving small amounts of seed to commercial operations moving huge amounts of seed, FS Construction Services can help you with the entire spectrum of seed treatment, no matter how much customization your project needs.

If you are in the market for a new seed treatment system, or if you just have seed treatment service questions, please let Gateway FS Construction Services know. Give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Gateway FS Seed Systems preventative maintenance

Seed System Preventative Maintenance #3: Call Us in a Crunch

Well, summer is over and we are in the middle of harvest season. We hope that you were able to get any seed system maintenance you needed taken care of and it’s all smooth sailing from here on out. However, we know that, despite all the best efforts and intentions, sometimes things just go wrong. To help out, here is our third and final round of FS Construction Service’s preventative maintenance articles for your seed treatment system.

While technology is amazing, and seed treatment has become an art of repeatable, computational precision, there are always going to be things that are simply out of our hands. We’ve been in the game long enough to know we have to respect, and be prepared for, the unpredictable. So we’ve come up with a few ways that we can be as ready as possible should a problem with your seed treater arise.

  1. We keep ourselves well stocked with a vast number of different parts. Sometimes the smallest thing can cause the biggest problems, so we keep a lot of seed system replacement parts on hand in case of an emergency.
  2. We have a dedicated USC technician on staff. He knows this equipment inside and out and is quick to not only diagnose a problem but pinpoint its solution as well.
  3. We focus on service. We make it a point to get to our customers as quickly as possible, so they can be up and running as soon as possible.

All of these things came into play recently when a pump board when out on a seed treater in Kentucky. The cause: not a faulty part or bad operation, but a power surge thanks to a lightning strike. To ensure our client could get back to work quickly, our service technician met him halfway with the needed replacement, so he could get his system running again within the day.

We’ve been doing this long enough to know that it always pays to be prepared. Whether you’re getting your system checked and cleaned before harvest, or you find yourself in a sudden bind, we are there for you. We hope this series on preventative maintenance has been helpful, and as always, if you have any questions about our seed system services, please feel free to reach out to Gateway FS Construction Services. You can give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

Gateway FS Construction Services seed systems preventative maintenance

USC Seed Systems Preventative Maintenance Blog: 2 of 3: Increase Accuracy and Save Money

Welcome to the second round of FS Construction Service’s seed system preventative maintenance articles. Like we said before, a little maintenance can go a long way when it comes to keeping your seed treatment systems effective and operational, and our goal is to give you the information you need to keep your equipment in the best shape. What follows is a description of the service you receive when an FS service professional comes out to take your seed system through the preventative maintenance process.

One of the wonderful things about seed treatment systems is their precision. Knowing that you can program and produce an identical dressing for seed year after year that can be applied consistently and evenly each time brings with it some serious peace of mind. However, none of that happens by accident. Thanks to the advancement in seed system technology and automation, the margin for error has decreased significantly. Obviously, automatic systems sound wonderful, but it’s also no surprise that we have found there are a number of manual seed systems still out there.

Brand-new equipment is expensive, we get that. That’s why our Seed Treating Solutions experts retrofit older treaters with automation upgrades. Our team can perform recommended maintenance and upgrades on any USC treater to turn previously manual processes to automatic processes. Most commonly what this means is that we will add a seed wheel system to keep you at your desired rate of flow and level of seed treatment. However, there are other simple ways to upgrade additional processes that are not only low cost, but can increase the accuracy of your system’s chemical delivery by 99.95%.

So, if you’re still using a manual seed system and aren’t yet ready for a whole system upgrade, let FS Construction Services know. We can inspect your equipment and determine ways we can make your job easier and your product more consistent.

To schedule maintenance, or get answers about maintaining or upgrading your seed system, reach out to Gateway FS Construction Services. You can give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.

FS Construction Services seed systems preventative maintenance

Preventative Maintenance #1: Seed Systems

Seed systems and treaters are amazing pieces of machinery. Modern technology has allowed for more precision and consistency in seed treatment, assuring not just an even application, but the ability to treat seeds exactly the same way year after year. This kind of reliability brings considerable peace of mind, but it doesn’t happen accidentally. Some of the most important work you can put in on your seed treatment system happens before you ever need to turn it on.

Tapping the knowledge of our agricultural equipment experts, FS Construction Services is going to release a series of preventative maintenance articles covering both seed and grain systems. Our Seed Treating Systems expert says, “A little maintenance can go a long way when it comes to keeping your systems effective and operational, and our goal is to give you the information you need to keep your equipment in the best shape.” What follows is a description of the service you receive when an FS professional comes out to take your system through the preventative maintenance process whether you use USC, Meridan or any other of our partner manufacturers.

When it comes to seed systems, there are two types of preventative maintenance: standard and bin site.

When we come out to perform our standard maintenance service, we will check your system’s inlet, outlet, treater, belts, bearings, and inspect the equipment for any other possible issues. Standard maintenance covers things like: tightening the motor coupler, cleaning the atomizer chamber, checking the ball valves on the mix tank, inspecting the pump motor, and checking timers and relays.

A bin site inspection is a full-systems check from top to bottom and takes about six hours to perform.

For either of these types of maintenance, we recommend you schedule between late fall to late winter. If you are interested in having an FS professional come out to your site to perform a maintenance check, please allow a four-week lead time. Scheduling as far in advance as possible will give us the best chance to find the time that fits most conveniently into your schedule.

If you would like to schedule maintenance, or have any questions about our seed system services, please feel free to reach out to Gateway FS Construction Services. You can give us a call at 866-551-3454, and let our specialists help you find exactly what you are looking for. We look forward to providing you the best customer service experience.