Sukup Manufacturing Produces Grain Handling Equipment

Skyway makes extensive use of Sukup quality steel grain bins in our grain handling and storage system designs. Skyways business relationship with Sukup began in 2005 and installation of the grain storage system for Kings Lake Colony in southern Alberta.  The Kings Lake Colony storage system has been in operation for 4 years now, and as expected the Sukup grain bins and unload conveyors have performed up to all expectations and beyond. Since 2005 Skyway has used Sukup grain storage and handling equipment in grain designs successfully in many different installations.

Eugene Sukup founded the company in 1963, when he developed an idea for a stirring machine for in-bin drying of shelled corn. In the fall of 1962, Eugene Sukup, a young, innovative farmer, bought his first grain bin to store shelled grain. Unfortunately, he found drying to be slow, and pockets of grain began to overheat and spoil. To solve this problem, he modified a stoker auger from a coal furnace and inserted it in an electric drill. Then, using a chain, he hung it from the top of the bin to loosen the hot spots and prevent spoilage. To make a successful product, it had to be automatic, so Eugene went back to the drawing board and came up with the idea of adding a horizontal auger through the handle of the drill. He patented the idea and the Stirway stirring machine and Sukup Manufacturing Company were born.

The Sukup Grain Handling and Storage Solutions line includes grain bins for both on-farm and commercial storage, grain dryers for on-farm and commercial operations, axial and centrifugal fans and heaters, stirring machines, unloading equipment, bin floors and supports, drive-over hoppers, grain spreaders and Airway® Tubes.

Ultimately, the key to the Sukup’s success and dominance in the industry has been its innovative ideas that have resulted in over 70 U.S. patents. Sukup is a market leader with many of their products holding either the number one or number two spot in terms of market share for their respective product categories.

This company has made a considerable investment in manufacturing technologies. The manufacturing facilities in Sheffield house a number of welding robots, Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Machining Center, CNC Punching Centers, Mazak Lasers, and numerous roll forming machines. The company also utilizes progressive dies to speed production of high-usage parts. The grain bin production line is the most advanced and efficient in the industry. When they entered the grain bin manufacturing business, they had the bin sidewall sheet and roof sheet lines built to their strict specifications by the leader in roll forming equipment. These machines are computer-controlled and maintain extremely tight tolerances that make these bins the best fitting and easiest to put together in the industry.