Cat® Rental Power Saves Peanut Wholesaler $200,000
Customer: Hemingway Fertilizer & Peanut Co.
Location: Hemingway, South Carolina, USA
Customer Business Issue: Power needed for 3,600 rpm fans to dry out peanuts
Solution: Cat® XQ300 mobile generator set
Cat® Dealer: Blanchard Power Systems
As the owner of a collection point for freshly harvested peanuts that come in from the field, the co-owner of Hemingway Fertilizer & Peanut Co. found himself without power, and 20 semi-trailers full of peanuts that were in danger of rotting.
“It gives me peace of mind knowing that I can call the local Cat dealer and can get some help,” says Keith Baxley, co-owner of Hemingway Fertilizer & Peanut Co. “So it lets you sleep better at night, and that’s a big thing.”
POWER NEED
In the wake of Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, Keith Baxley had a problem.
As the owner of a collection point for freshly harvested peanuts that come in from the field, the co-owner of Hemingway Fertilizer & Peanut Co. found himself without power, and 20 semi-trailers full of peanuts that were in danger of rotting.
SOLUTION
With the clock ticking, Hemingway Fertilizer & Peanut Co. contacted a rental representative with Blanchard Power Systems in West Columbia, South Carolina, who located a Cat XQ300 generator set for the company in Louisville.
The 300 ekW mobile generator set arrived early the following morning, and was running by 4 a.m., powering 3,600 rpm fans that dry the peanuts that arrive from the farm at 29% moisture content.
RESULTS
With the fans able to run, the moisture content of the peanuts was brought down to the desired 10.5%, saving Baxley about $200,000. “That’s the first time we ever had to use emergency power,” Baxley said, “Before that, we really hadn’t thought about it. But now that we’ve had to do it, it gives me peace of mind knowing that I can call the local Cat dealer and can get some help.”
Lee Cassidy, a rental representative with Blanchard Power Systems, says that when a customer needs rental power, the first thing he determines is what they are trying to power, and how many amps are required to support it.
“When a customer calls, sometimes they will know exactly what they need and you can tell pretty quickly, just from being in the business, that they know what they’re talking about,” Cassidy explained. ”But other times, they’ll just call and say, ‘I need a generator,’ and you basically have to walk them through the process.”
“We’ll be as hands on as you need us to be,” he adds. “A lot of times, big industrial customers will want one of our technicians on site to make sure everything is connected and functioning properly. We can handle it either way, and it’s up to the customer—I tell them we’ll do as much or as little as you need us to do.”
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