Facility FAQ
Built in 1966, Agralite has outgrown its headquarters facility in virtually every way. Bigger equipment and cramped facilities are impacting the efficiency and safety of service. In particular, the garage, shop and mechanic areas need more space and updated equipment to accommodate the size and demands of today's fleet vehicles and provide appropriate space for employees to work safely and efficiently. The new facility represents an important investment in our long-term ability to continue high-quality service.
The new headquarters facility will serve as the foundation for the Cooperative’s operations for the next 60 years and beyond. The facility will provide the design and space we need to support our operations, engineering, member service, finance, and administrative teams. Critical features include larger garages, an enhanced mechanic shop, meeting areas and secure storage spaces for important material and equipment like poles, wires, transformers and meters. Office departments and workspaces will be designed to make workflow more productive and efficient.
The estimated cost is $16 million.
We anticipate groundbreaking and excavation to begin in fall of 2024, and the construction of the new headquarters facility to be completed in late 2025.
Interest rates are only one of many expenses that impact the overall cost of the headquarters facility. Independent experts project the cost of the facility will only increase the longer we wait. By financing the project now, we lock in our building costs before they increase further, while having a strategic finance plan for interest rates long term.
No, building the new facility will have no impact on our core business model of providing electricity to our members. We will always have a line crew on call to respond to outages as safely and efficiently as possible, as well as our normal office hours.
Our employees have played a key role in developing the new headquarters facility. We surveyed our employees for ways to be efficient with space and help them be more effective at their jobs. We created a Focus Group made up of employees from each department. Their guidance and support directly informed the design of several aspects of the new building and gives us even more confidence that this investment will help us better serve our members. As you might imagine, there were many great ideas brought forward for consideration to incorporate into the new facility. We are excited to implement ideas that align with our business and our budget.
Yes. After reviewing the feasibility study that was completed, careful consideration of costs, location and the needs of employees, the Agralite Board decided that new construction was the best option to support our mission of providing safe and reliable electricity to our members long into the future for the next 60 years and beyond. The new headquarters will be on the same property as our current building in Benson to maximize value and limit disruptions to our operations.
Once the project is complete, the current headquarters will be removed to extend space for the new facility.
Our website will continue to include updated information about the project, as well as our monthly newsletter. Members can contact our office at 320-843-4150 to speak directly with a cooperative representative during normal business hours.