Blog Post

World's Largest Grain Elevator: world record in Wichita, Kansas

Jun 26, 2023

Wichita, Kansas, United States--The DeBruce Grain Inc. Elevator in Wichita, Kansas, a 2,717-foot-long cement structure is composed of 246 individual 30-foot by 120-foot-tall connected concrete tanks in three parallel rows, all under a single headworks; the structure has a capacity of over 20 million bushels of wheat, enough to supply all the bread consumed in America in a six week period, thus setting the world record for being the World's Largest Grain Elevator, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

"A family-owned business since its inception in 1987, Beachner Grain is a leader in grain merchandising and transportation and a major supplier of seed, bulk fertilizers and crop protection products to farmers in eastern Kansas and northeast Oklahoma. We also supply area livestock producers with a wide variety of quality feed products," the official website says.

"At Beachner Grain, we’ve worked hard to earn and maintain the trust of our customers for more than 30 years, and we’ve done so by practicing a high level of integrity. Our reliable team members are committed to exceeding the needs of our customers by being flexible and going above and beyond to help them achieve success.

"We’ve witnessed rapid changes in the industry over the past decade, which has prompted us to strategically think about how we best serve our progressive customer base well into the future. We have responded with continuous reinvestment in our facilities, our communities, and our professional staff, as well as a new portfolio of professional agronomy services."

Largest Grain Elevator

"A single-unit grain elevator operated by DeBruce Grain Inc. at Wichita, Kansas, USA consists of 310 elevators arranged in a triple row on either side of the central loading tower or `head house'," Guinness World Records says.

"The unit is 828 m (2,717 ft) long and 30.5 m (100 ft) wide. Each tank is 37 m (120 ft) high and has an internal diameter of 9.1 m (30 ft), giving a total storage capacity in excess of 7.3 million hl (20,000,000 bushels) of wheat."

"Wichita's DeBruce is 2,657 feet long. Hutchinson's ADM is 2,573 feet long," The Hutchinson News says.

"DeBruce also is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest elevator in the world, he said. Its licensed capacity is in excess of 22.4 million bushels.

"Hutchinson's elevator holds 18.2 million bushels. Bollman said Wichita's elevator was longer before a June 1998 explosion caused the company to remove roughly 30 feet from each end."

"This 2,717 feet long cement structure is is listed as the largest grain elevator in the world. In 1998, an explosion at the facility killed seven people, and heavily damaged the structure, the Virtual Globetrotting says.

"The elevator is composed of 246 individual 30 foot by 120 foot tall connected concrete tanks in three parallel rows, all under a single headworks. The structure had a capacity of over 20 million bushels of wheat, enough to supply all the bread consumed in America in a six week period. The facility is owned by DeBruce Grain, Inc."

"This 2,717-foot-long cement structure is listed as the largest grain elevator in the world. The elevator is composed of 246 individual 30-foot by 120-foot-tall connected concrete tanks in three parallel rows, all under a single headworks," The Center for Land Use Interpretation says.

"The structure has a capacity of over 20 million bushels of wheat, enough to supply all the bread consumed in America in a six week period. In 1998, an explosion at the facility killed seven people, injured ten others, and heavily damaged the structure. The facility is also known as the DeBruce Grain Inc. Elevator."

"A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits it in a silo or other storage facility.

"In most cases, the term "grain elevator" also describes the entire elevator complex, including receiving and testing offices, weighbridges, and storage facilities. It may also mean organizations that operate or control several individual elevators, in different locations. In Australia, the term describes only the lifting mechanism." (Wikipedia)

"Ray Garvey of Colby was a wheat farmer and business executive. He developed a cooperative solution to handle the demand for grain storage," the Kansas Historical Society says.

"Large capacity terminal elevators could hold annual harvests as well as the U.S. government stockpile. These huge elevators weighed, cleaned, stored, treated, and prepared grain for shipping. The nation’s largest terminal elevators are located in Wichita and Hutchinson, Kansas."