SOURCE | Spring 2023 15
AGRILAND ’ s Bring Fuel Business Unit Provides Fuel to Customers Affected by Natural Disasters
Driving out to Ft . Myers Beach , Florida , an AGRILAND FS fuel truck is one of the last things a person would expect to see , as AGRILAND is headquartered more than 1,500 miles away in Winterset , Iowa . However , through a business unit called Bring Fuel , AGRILAND trucks are providing service to customers far beyond their Midwestern core .
“ Five years ago , ( AGRILAND FS General Manager ) John Knobloch challenged our team to double our service income over the next 10 years ,” said Ross Knobloch , AGRILAND FS Energy Sales Manager . “ We created Bring Fuel as a way to partner with national companies to provide fuel services following natural disasters .”
After disasters like hurricanes , tornadoes , floods , and wildfires , extra fuel is needed to run generators , trucks , and excavation equipment . The business serves as a supplier for other businesses providing those rescue and relief operations , relying on the strong fuel infrastructure of the GROWMARK System to ensure a stable supply .
“ The first disaster Bring Fuel responded to was in 2020 , when Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans ,” Knobloch said . “ We ’ ve also responded to the 2021 tornado in Leesburg , Kentucky , and were then asked to help during the Kentucky flooding in 2022 .”
Bring Fuel with AGRILAND FS has gone on to set up strategic permanent operations in Columbus , Ohio ; Denver , Colorado ; Tulsa and Oklahoma City , Oklahoma ; Dallas and Austin , Texas ; Albuquerque , New Mexico ; and most recently , Tampa , Florida .
“ We were looking at Miami and Ft . Lauderdale , but Tampa ended up being the right location ,” Knobloch said . “ We had 20 assets on location ready to go just before Hurricane Ian in September 2022 , and after the immediate relief needs were met , we kept them down there .”
AGRILAND FS employees spent 45 days in late 2022 serving businesses and individuals directly affected by the hurricane , and now two full-time employees are running regular fuel routes in a Tampa-Sarasota-Orlando area .
“ Where other companies struggle to provide service , we ’ re poised to grow in Florida by two more trucks in the next 12 months ,” he said . “ Bring Fuel has opened a lot of doors for our cooperative .”
Jorge Norman is one of two full-time AGRILAND fuel employees in Southwest Florida .