MILFORD – Opened in spring, a 275-acre agronomy hub at the intersection of two railway lines northeast of Milford joins 40 other locations in Ohio and Indiana run by Trupointe Cooperative Inc. The site, which stores dry and liquid products to serve growers in a 60-mile radius, began operations about a year after its March 2013 groundbreaking. Company brass spoke at a grand opening Tuesday that featured hayride tours of the grounds and its automated systems, massive storage tanks and cavernous dry goods building. “Milford is a great location for us to provide a large-scale asset to our customers,” said cooperative President Larry Hammond, before dedicating the site with a prayer. The site offers crop protection, nutrient and application services with a grain facility in planning. Hundreds of trucks can come and go and a full train can park on the on-site rail loop and be unloaded in 12 to 13 hours, according to information provided. The hub now employs 15 people, with hiring ongoing. At past Milford town meetings company representatives estimated about 22 people needed for the first phase of operations. “We want to be an employer of choice, which doesn’t just happen by paying a little more... but by having the right people in the right place,” remarked board Chair John Waymire Tuesday. The project was first announced in September 2012, when Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. President George Robertson said Milford was one of three locations being considered during a nine-month process. The next few months saw land rezoning, the establishment of a tax increment finance district and the beginning of a project to widen North CR 100E and improve the railroad overpass.
