Quality products and great customer service can take a company far — add market-specific expertise to the mix, and you’ll see that company go even farther. That’s exactly what Accu-Steel proved with the construction of a unique cattle building in northwest Kansas.
Kansas is a leading U.S. beef-producing state, and 2012 is the first year the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) approved a fully-permitted, fabric-covered building installation for use in cattle production. It’s a first for both Accu-Steel and the fabric-covered building industry as a whole.
Joe Hoagland, a registered Black Hereford breeder and owner of J&N Ranch located near Leavenworth, Kan., is the owner of the building. After visiting with Accu-Steel at the Kansas Livestock Convention — and consulting with his feed yard nutritionist — Hoagland quickly realized a fabric-covered cattle building was his best option. “Accu-Steel provides a superior product to competitors; they’re the ‘Cadillac’ of fabric-covered buildings,” he said.
Hoagland found his decision to work with Accu-Steel was the easy part; the permitting process with KDHE, however, added some difficulty to the project. KDHE had yet to permit a fabric-covered building for use in cattle production and therefore, had concerns surrounding manure management.
Cattle Buildings that Deliver
Through education from the Kansas Livestock Association and Jason Owen, president of Accu-Steel, KDHE soon understood the long list of environmental benefits that fabric-covered cattle buildings provide. In particular, Accu-Steel cattle buildings deliver exceptional manure control through the formation of deep bedding packs, meaning all the manure stays in the building where environmental factors such as rain don’t result in run-off concerns. The use of bedding packs reduces manure challenges and overall labor costs — a key driving force behind Hoagland’s decision.
KDHE is satisfied with the facility’s specifications, and Hoagland is happy with his new building. “Accu-Steel came out and did everything they said they would,” he explained.
The building has become a prime example of Accu-Steel’s commitment to quality and customer service, including their overall education and training within the markets they serve. As a result, the J&N Ranch building is sure to be the first of many KDHE-permitted, fabric-covered buildings constructed for cattle production in the state of Kansas.