About Empire AG, LLC.
Empire Ag, LLC. was founded in 2018 with the determination and expertise to create a design-build general contracting company that has the ability to provide turnkey construction services for agricultural, biofuels, industrial and commercial industries. Our millwright crews are known for their dedication and ability to successfully complete construction projects in the seed, feed, flour, pet food, fertilizer, and grain industries within the time constraints set forth by our customers. We have experience in a variety of material handling and storage expansion projects.
Empire Ag is your single source design-build contractor. We are prepared to lead you through each phase of your project, whether it is a new or existing facility. Our ability to self-perform concrete, millwright, steel, pre-engineered metal buildings is what enables us to control the quality, schedule, safety and cost on each project, saving our customers time and money. Whether it is a greenfield project or a facility expansion our highly skilled team can create a custom design-build solution to fit your needs. We appreciate the opportunity to present out capabilities. Attached are our resumes, project experience, references and vendor connections. Please let us know if you have any questions, looking forward to meeting with your team.
Josh Lewis
Empire Ag Partner
Professional Experience
2019 - Present: Partner, Empire Ag LLC.
Christensen Farms, Atkinson, Nebraska – Feedmill Expansion
FCS, Boyden, Iowa – Feedmill Renovations
Agrex, Laurel, Nebraska – Flood Damage Repairs
Christensen Farms, Forest City, Iowa – Feedmill Repairs
Gavilon (Louk Ag) Saginaw, Texas – Steel Bin Grain Storage Expansion
Gavilon (Louk Ag) Etter, Texas – Steel Bin Grain Storage Expansion
2014 - 2018: Preconstruction Leader, Weitz Company. Preconstruction Design, Estimating, Sales, and Business Development
Cobb Vantress, Joanna, South Carolina – New Slipform Poultry Feedmill
Tyson, Humboldt, Tennessee – New Slipform Poultry Feedmill
Tyson, Nacogdoches, Texas – New Slipform Grain Storage & Receiving Expansion
New Fashion Pork, Round Lake, Minnesota – New Slipform Swine Feedmill
Ozark Mountain Poultry, Batesville, AR – New Slipform Poultry Feedmill
Pipeline Foods, Bowbells, North Dakota – New Slipform Grain Storage
Pioneer, Cherokee, Iowa – Seed Corn Expansion
Pioneer, Hedrick, Iowa – Seed Corn Expansion
John Deere, Ankeny, Iowa – Building Expansion
Purina, St. Joseph, Missouri – Extrusion Plant and Mixing Tower Expansion
Unimin, Utica, Illinois – Project Renovations
References/Vendor Connections
Jim Gales CHS Inc. Business Development | Construction Department Manager (970) 630-0335
Alec Rector Farmers Coop Society Regional Feed Operations Manager (712) 360-1034
Leon Steffl Christensen Farms Feed Division Operations Manager (507) 794-5310
Shad Singleton Agco(GSI/Intersystems) Director Commercial Sales North America (320) 515-0244
Matt Heckel AGI(Tramco, HiRoller, Union Iron) Regional Sales Manager (217) 330-2079
Ray Vrtiska Warrior Manufacturing District Sales Manager (402) 203-0301
David Price Warrior Manufacturing Vice President (402) 203-0301
Ty Quillen BCI Conveyors (316) 680-8333
Jim Rogers Sales Manager Wam Screw Conveyors (817) 751-5614
Education
University of Florida – 2002 Bachelor of Design with a major in Architecture
Certifications
OSHA 30
2002 - 2014: Project Executive, Todd & Sargent. Preconstruction Design, Estimating, Sales, Business Development
Bunge North America, Destrehan, Louisiana – New Slipform Soybean Meal Storage
Bunge North America, Destrehan, North Carolina – New Slipform Soybean Meal Storage
Superior East II, LLC, Superior, Nebraska – Shuttle Train Loading Facility
Agrex, Laurel, Nebraska – Shuttle Train Loading Facility
CHS/Grainland Coop, Holyoke, Colorado – Shuttle Train Loading Facility
Cargill, Carleton, Nebraska – Shuttle Train Loading Facility
Aurora Cooperative, Grand Island, Nebraska – Grain Elevator with Truck Receiving
Aurora Cooperative, Sedan, Nebraska – Grain Elevator with Truck Receiving
Aurora West Grain, Aurora, Nebraska – Grain Annex
Sanderson Farms, Kinston, North Carolina – New Slipform Poultry Feedmill
Sanderson Farms, Collins, Mississippi – New Slipform Poultry Feedmill
Sanderson Farms, Adel, Georgia – New Slipform Poultry Feedmill
Columbia Farms, Comer, Georgia – New Slipform Swine Feedmill
Cobb Vantress, Albany, Kentucky – New Slipform Poultry Feedmill
Siemer Milling, Hopkinsville, Tennessee – New Slipform Flour Mill Feedmill
Landus Coop(Formerly FC Coop), Bayard, Iowa – New Slipform Grain Storage & Receiving
Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, Council Bluffs, Iowa – Corn & DDGS Storage & Handling (50 MMGPY Ethanol Plant)
ICM/Andersons, Albion, Michigan – Corn & DDGS Storage & Handling (50 MMGPY Ethanol Plant)
Valero Renewables, Linden, Indiana – Grain Storage
Valero Renewables, Bloomingburg, Ohio – Grain Storage
Verasun Energy, Welcome, Minnesota – Corn & DDGS Storage & Handling (100 MMGPY Ethanol Plant)
Verasun Energy, Charles City, Iowa – Corn & DDGS Storage & Handling (100 MMGPY Ethanol Plant)
Verasun Energy, Hartley, Iowa – Corn & DDGS Storage & Handling (100 MMGPY Ethanol Plant)
Verasun Energy, Fort Dodge, Iowa – Corn & DDGS Storage & Handling (50 MMGPY Ethanol Plant)
Lincolnway Energy, Nevada, Iowa – Corn & DDGS Storage & Handling (50 MMGPY Ethanol Plant)
International Ingredient, Clovis, New Mexico – Permeate Drying Facility
Justin Louk
Empire Ag LLC. Partner
Professional Experience
2018 - Present: Partner, Empire Ag LLC.
Christensen Farms, Atkinson, Nebraska – Feedmill Expansion
FCS, Boyden, Iowa – Feedmill Renovations
Agrex, Laurel, Nebraska – Flood Damage Repairs
Christensen Farms, Forest City, Iowa – Feedmill Repairs
Gavilon (Louk Ag) Saginaw, Texas – Steel Bin Grain Storage Expansion
Gavilon (Louk Ag) Etter, Texas – Steel Bin Grain Storage Expansion
2013 - Present: President/Owner Louk Ag Services, LLC.
Below are some examples of projects that Louk Ag has completed as a design build general contractor and also some shutdown and renovations. Louk Ag has completed 115 projects over the last 6 years ranging from $50,000 to $10,000,000
Gavilon Grain River Terminal, Prairie Du Chein, Wisconsin – Installation of a new Sukup bin, dryer, legs, conveyance, tower, and receiving pit.
Gavilon Grain, Jamestown, North Dakota – Renovation of existing house all new spouting, gates/valves, upgrades to receiving legs, (2) 10524 Sukup bins, Dual 20,000 bph fill drags, 40,000 bph Hiroller reclaims, Bin Gator sweeps, and 40,000 bph shipping leg.
Gavilon Grain, Saginaw, Texas – (3) 10525 Sukup bins, 25,000 bph HiRoller fill belts, 25,000 bph HiRoller reclaim belts, Bin Gator sweeps, renovation of existing work floor, Removed existing manual distributors and installed (2) electric distributors with all new spouting, and installation of new rail pit.
Gavilon Grain River Terminal, Henderson, Kentucky – Removal of all existing open belts and replaced with new HiRollers, new dryer, wet reclaim, dry reclaim, new tower, legs, Schlagel distributor, spouting, new truck pit, and new loadout and receiving buildings.
Gavilon Grain River Terminal, Catoosa, Oklahoma – Removed existing reclaims and replaced them with new HiRollers and drag conveyors (Shutdown)
Sandahl Farms, Wakefield, Nebraska- Greenfield facility, (2) 10528 steel tanks, (1) 9028 steel tank, tower dryer, 3618 hoppertank, (2) Merridean loadout tanks, receiving pit, Lemar towers/catwalks, new office, restroom, receiving/loadout building, mcc building, Union Iron drags and legs, piling, and roadways
Aurora Coop, Aurora, Nebraska- Ground Pile, Installation of (3) distribution towers, support truss, towers and fill drags.
Pioneer, Doniphan, Nebraska – Seed Corn Expansion, new color sorters, treater, cleaner, dust control, and structural.
Installation of multiple Manlifts (SPPE) for Gavilon, ADM, Pilgrims Pride, Todd &Sargent, Cargill, Sanderson Farms, and many more
2005 - 2013: Buresh Building Systems
Vice President of Operations-2010-2013
Project Manager-2007-2010
Field Superintendent-2005-2007
1998-2005: Todd & Sargent
Foreman- 2003-2005
Leadman- 2000-2003
Laborer- 1998-2000
REFERENCES/VENDOR CONNECTIONS
Brian Carleton, Vice President of Operations Gavilon Grain 402-889-4000
Verlin Friedly, Director of Engineering Gavilon Grain 402-889-4124
Ryan Potts, Director of Projects ADM (309) 660-1398
Jon Sandahl, Owner Sandahl Farms (402) 640-2457
Shad Singleton, Agco(GSI/Intersystems) Director Commercial Sales North America (320) 515-0244
David Wernsing, AGI(Tramco, HiRoller, Union Iron) General Manager (217) 519-8299
Brent Hanson, Sukup Manufacturing (641)892-8105
Larry Stayner, Sales Lemar (515)-657-4130
Dave Olson, Schlagel (763)-689_5991
Ryan Rock
Empire Ag LLC. Partner
Professional Experience
2018 - Present: Partner, Empire Ag LLC.
Christensen Farms, Atkinson, Nebraska – Feedmill Expansion
FCS, Boyden, Iowa – Feedmill Renovations
Agrex, Laurel, Nebraska – Flood Damage Repairs
Christensen Farms, Forest City, Iowa – Feedmill Repairs
Dierickx Farms, Eldridge, Iowa – Dryer Expansion
Gavilon (Louk Ag) Saginaw, Texas – Steel Bin Grain Storage Expansion
Gavilon (Louk Ag) Etter, Texas – Steel Bin Grain Storage Expansion
2008 - 2018: Sr. Project Manager, Todd & Sargent Inc.
Construction management, subcontract coordination, quality control, safety management, purchasing coordination, and contract management on various projects.
Parrish & Heimbecker, Viking, Alberta – Shuttle Train Loading Terminal
GrainsConnect Canada, Vegreville, Alberta – Shuttle Train Loading Terminal
OP Nutrition, Peru, IN – Swine Feedmill
GrainsConnect Canada, Reford, Saskatchewan – Shuttle Train Loading Terminal
GrainsConnect Canada, Maymont, Saskatchewan – Shuttle Train Loading Terminal
Grain Millers, St. Ansgar, Iowa – Oat Storage Facility
Chelsea Milling, Chelsea, Michigan – “Jiffy Mix” Batching Tower
Parrish & Heimbecker, LTD, Gladstone, Manitoba – Inland Grain Terminal
Heartland Coop, Fairfield, Iowa – Grain Elevator
Cobb, Albany, Kentucky – Poultry Feedmill
Superior East II, LLC, Superior, Nebraska – Shuttle Train Loading Facility
Parrish & Heimbecker, Hanover Junction, Saskatchewan –Inland Grain Terminal
Agrex, Laurel, Nebraska – Shuttle Train Loading Facility
CHS/Grainland Coop, Holyoke, Colorado – Shuttle Train Loading Facility
Parrish & Heimbecker, Bow Island, Alberta, Canada - Grain Annex
Cargill, Carleton, Nebraska – Shuttle Train Loading Facility
Parrish & Heimbecker, Quill Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada - Elevator Upgrades/Renovations
Aurora Cooperative, Grand Island, Nebraska – Grain Elevator with Truck Receiving
Aurora Cooperative, Sedan, Nebraska – Grain Elevator with Truck Receiving
Aurora West Grain, Aurora, Nebraska – Grain Annex
Valero Renewables, Linden, Indiana – Grain Storage
Valero Renewables, Bloomingburg, Ohio – Grain Storage
2006 - 2008: Project Development/Estimator, Todd & Sargent Inc.
Develop conceptual designs and offer detailed methods tailored to achieve client’s goals.
Examine most current technologies of process equipment, logistics and maintenance for grain handling, feed production and other AG industrial processes.
Engage in design sessions with our project development team.
Develop comprehensive cost estimates
Network and establish contacts to solicit quotations from subcontractors and local building material suppliers.
Define specifications, solicit quotations, negotiate contracts with vendors and subcontractors.
2005 - 2006: Assistant Superintendent, Todd & Sargent Inc.
Lincolnway Energy, Nevada, Iowa – Corn & DDGS Storage & Handling (50 MMGPY Ethanol Plant)
EDUCATION
Iowa State University – 2005 B.S. Finance
REFERENCES/VENDOR CONNECTIONS
Jim Gales, CHS Inc. Business Development | Construction Department Manager (970) 630-0335
Alec Rector, Farmers Coop Society Regional Feed Operations Manager (712) 360-1034
Leon Steffl, Christensen Farms Feed Division Operations Manager (507) 794-5310
Shad Singleton, Agco(GSI/Intersystems) Director Commercial Sales North America (320) 515-0244
Matt Heckel, AGI(Tramco, HiRoller, Union Iron) Regional Sales Manager (217) 330-2079
Ray Vrtiska, Warrior Manufacturing District Sales Manager (402) 203-0301
David Price, Warrior Manufacturing Vice President (402) 203-0301
Ty Quillen, BCI Conveyors (316) 680-8333
Jim Rogers, Sales Manager Wam Screw Conveyors (817) 751-5614