A long-time local grain company has expanded its footprint in southern Manitoba with the acquisition of the Fannystelle grain elevator.
Ryan McKnight, president and merchandising manager of Linear Grain Inc., at the Fannystelle grain elevator following the company’s Nov. 5 purchase from Bunge
Linear Grain Inc., based in Carman, confirmed this week it has purchased the elevator from Bunge. The transaction closed Nov. 5 and operations are already underway under Linear Grain ownership, with both existing employees retained to ensure continuity of service.
President and merchandising manager Ryan McKnight said the acquisition aligns with the company’s long-term growth plans and strengthens delivery and marketing options for producers.
“We have been wanting to expand our storage capacity over the past few years in Carman and have plans to do so in the future,” McKnight said. “When this opportunity came up, we were very interested. We have also been looking to get on the CPKC rail line for many years, and this gave us that opportunity. This will add additional marketing options for us and for the customers we purchase grain from.”
Linear Grain currently ships on the CN through Central Manitoba Railway and also has access to BNSF. McKnight said adding CPKC broadens the company’s ability to reach new markets and offer additional program flexibility.
The Fannystelle location will work closely with the company’s Carman facility.
“This location being close to Carman will allow us to share company resources, equipment and staff very easily,” McKnight said. “The catchment area will allow us to purchase from further north and along Highway 2 from new customers we are currently either not working with or seldom working with. We’ll leverage each facility’s advantages, including which commodities are handled where, and offer flexibility and farm pickup options to keep grain moving.”
Both staff members previously employed at the elevator have been retained, including the new facility operations manager who brings 24 years of experience in the grain industry and 10 years working at Fannystelle. Linear Grain expects to add an additional employee as operations ramp up.
“The elevator is currently in good shape and we will repair, maintain and replace equipment as needed,” McKnight added. “We will likely add storage capacity and look at increasing receiving and shipping capacity. There is room on the site for expansion.”
McKnight emphasized that local ownership remains central to Linear Grain’s identity and approach.
“Local service means the owners and decision makers live and work here and care deeply about our communities,” he said. “My family has deep roots in this region going back six generations. When you do business with a company like Linear Grain, you can get hold of the decision makers and build working relationships that you might not be able to with a larger or foreign corporation. If our company continues to be successful, we are investing money back into our business locally, donating to community causes and keeping jobs and economic benefits in the region.”
McKnight said maintaining a competitive grain handling sector means ensuring space for privately owned Manitoba companies.
“The agricultural commodities business is dominated by large multinational organizations,” he said. “To continue to have a vibrant and competitive marketplace, it’s important that local entrepreneurs can compete and add value — rather than the industry continuing to consolidate.”
For McKnight, the move also comes with personal connection to the community.
“We have many customers in the Fannystelle area that we have purchased grain from for many years. We look forward to cultivating more business in the area and have an additional tool with the Fannystelle elevator to meet their needs,” he said.
Producers interested in receiving Linear Grain’s bid texts and emails may contact the Carman office.
