By Katherine Murphy

Things are on the rise as a new state-of-the-art country grain elevator climbs to new heights west of Chenoa.

Prairie Central Cooperative held an open house and dedication ceremony this week for the new lift that’s been years in the making.

After the need for additional storage capacity was discovered, capital projects manager for Prairie Central Cooperative, Matt Hinshaw said a lot of the facilities that were built in the middle of towns in the 50s, 60s and 70s are running out of room.

The new elevator has multiple grain bins with a total storage capacity of about 2.6 million bushels.

There are also three receiving pits that are larger than the norm so a semi doesn’t have to move twice.

Construction started about a year and a half ago after the project found final approval two years ago.

Hinshaw says efficiency is a big part of the new design making it possible to work with as few operators as possible to manage and store grain.