Through a partnership with the Port of Virginia, The Scoular Co. has opened a new elevator at the Richmond Marine Terminal, providing Virginia farmers with another point of access for selling and exporting their grains.

A key advantage of the new elevator is speed, the company said, adding that the facility can unload 20,000 bu. — or 20 trucks — per hour.

Not only does this facility provide solutions for Virginia farmers, but it also signifies Scoular’s commitment to the expanding Richmond terminal, the company said.

“This project, combined with the investments we are making at Richmond Marine Terminal, will provide farmers in Virginia even greater access to world markets,” said John Reinhart, chief executive officer and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. “Scoular has been a good partner of the port for a number of years, and this is a natural expansion of its operation that holds benefits for the port and the state’s agriculture industry.”

The new elevator expands the size and scope of export activity for Scoular, which already provides access to competitive container freights in the market. The company ranks as the fourth-largest agricultural container shipper in the U.S., according to the Journal of Commerce.

The Richmond elevator is the third in Virginia for Scoular, which also operates facilities for export in Windsor and Weyers Cave, Va.

 “This new and efficient facility is part of our overall mission to create safe and reliable supply chain solutions for Virginia farmers,” Scoular senior group manager John Gill said. “We have traceability and quality control over our goods all the way from the producer in Virginia to a customer in Asia. Your product is in good hands with Scoular.”