ENID —
The 2011 drought might have driven a different agribusiness into the red, but this Enid grain company reached into its diversified war chest and continued to stay on top of its game.
W.B. Johnston Grain, 411 W. Chestnut, found a niche in the oil field market by offering a service others do not: storing and handling fracturing sand — a fine sand used in drilling to hold open a fracture in the rock so oil and gas can flow through.
Oklahoma’s largest privately owned grain elevator business, Johnston Grain operates 20 elevators in Oklahoma and Texas. It also operates five ports in Louisiana, West Virginia and Oklahoma. The company provides year-round employment to 300 and seasonal employment to about 60 more.
Using company assets to handle the oil field supply meant no employees had to be let go when the volume of grain flowing through the company went down because of the drought, company president Butch Meibergen said.
“Last year’s drought was just devastating, so you look to use your assets somewhere else,” Meibergen said.
Meibergen credits the vice president of the company — his son Joey — with the creative thinking that resulted in the frac sand accounts.
Drillers often incur additional charges for keeping a rail car loaded with frac sand longer than the railroad wants the car detained. Storing it at Johnston Grain means releasing the rail car in a timely fashion and avoiding being hit with those extra charges, Butch Meibergen explained.
“Our customers’ trucks come to our facility to pick up their sand,” Joey Meibergen said.
Additionally, Johnston Grain is handling drilling mud and pipe for their oil field customers. The company also is expanding by developing a new port east of Tulsa.
“There’s always something different to handle, whether it’s at the river or off the rail system,” Butch Meibergen said. “We look at these industrial demands.”
Handling wind turbines is another possibility Johnston Grain is exploring, Joey Meibergen said.
Meanwhile, back to the company’s stock in trade, Butch Meibergen said this year’s growing crop looks excellent.
Progress 2012
Related Photos
-
Equipment sits next to piles of sand, being used by the oil industry, that currently are stored at W.B. Johnston Grain Co. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)
Discussion
business isn’t drying up ...
W.B. Johnston Grain finding new ways to diversify its business
- Progress 2012
-
-
2012 ON THE HORIZON
The News & Eagle puts out an annual progress edition. This year's 2012 On the Horizon focuses on developments now and in the future. The stories in text format are available by scrolling down this page.
Links to pdf format: Economic Development I Health and Wellness I Education I Northwest Oklahoma I Family I Faith I Agriculture and Energy I Community Service
-
Community Service
Enid News & Eagle's 2012 On the Horizon edition concludes with the role of community service.
Click HERE for text version of the stories.
Click HERE for pdf version of the edition.
-
Chisholm seeks consistency
-
A positive interaction
Karen Vanover and A.Z. Callicoat are past volunteers of the year at their respective hospitals, Vanover at Integris Bass Baptist Health Center and Callicoat at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.
-
Foster Grandparents: The solver of all problems
“It’s something to get up for in the morning." — Foster Grandparent Ella Loggins
-
Hear this
Hedges is committed to improving communications skills for those in need in northwest Oklahoma.
Executive Director Carmen Ball said Hedges is the only full-service speech and hearing center in northwest Oklahoma. -
Doing their part for the community
Stephanie Ezzell is active in the community in a number of capacities, including the popular Farmers Market, on the southeast corner of Grand and Garriott.
-
Sorting out the service
The curbside recycling business began after Chris Feeney of Oklahoma Employment Securities’ Material Recovery, a recycling venture, repeatedly was asked why the option wasn’t available.
-
Learning the language
Volunteers at Emmanuel Baptist Church stepped up to fill that gap with free ESL instruction last January, and now they have hopes of expanding the program to better serve the community.
-
Tutoring joy
Each Wednesday after school, church members pick up students — there are 23 in this year’s group — and take them to the church building for a snack, some fun and plenty of homework help.
- More Progress 2012 Headlines
-
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
Twiggy, the Water Skiing Squirrel
Sailor Surprises His Mom At Her CU Denver Graduation Ceremony
Official: ‘Amazing’ No One Was Killed In CT Train Crash
Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder
Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner
Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion
Beyonce Is Pregnant!
SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT
Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch
See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion
Woman tricked into taking abortion pill
Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos
Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
Cindy Crawford Stuns At Cannes
