According to the National Weather Service, an April 2 series of storms moved through Indiana bringing 21 tornadoes across regions of the state.
The Argos, Ind., location of Keystone Cooperative experienced severe damage from an EF1 tornado resulting during those storms. Due to teamwork, the location was back to full function just one week later–spreading fertilizer and delivering liquid fertilizer.
“This team, our location is blessed,” said Ryan Sieber, Argo Agronomy location manager. “We are overwhelmed but blessed. No humans were physically injured and that’s what matters. My goal is to earn the respect of every customer up here, and show them that we are resilient and can still get the job done, given what we’ve experienced in the last week.”
The agronomy location stores and distributes fertilizer, seed and crop protection products.
When the communication started about the severe damage at 8:30 p.m., the Keystone Safety & Risk team sprung into action.
In the chemical and liquid warehouse, there was a limited amount of product leaked onto the concrete pads, which was cleaned up and contained with absorbents. Although the liquid fertilizer tanks and containment system were damaged, there was no release.
The loadout system for the dry fertilizer shed was damaged, but the building overall had limited damage and no product was affected.
By the next morning, employees from seven Keystone locations as well as the corporate office were on site to help with the cleanup. A Keystone spokesperson said metal from its buildings had traveled up to two miles away.
In the process, Keystone has been and continues to work with licensed and insured contractors to finish the clean up.
In addition to the tornado in Argos, about one and a half hours south, the area of Lapel Indiana was struck with two tornadoes from the same storm front.
Although the Keystone location in Lapel was not damaged, the storm hit home for many of its team members. The Lapel Keystone employees worked for multiple days cleaning up farms, hauling destroyed grain bines, shed, grain legs and more to the scrap yards, purchased and delivered every day goods for the families directly affected, and delivered meals to volunteers.
A Keystone spokesperson said, “These aren’t just acts of service to our customers, they’re acts of compassion, of community, and of standing shoulder-to-shoulder when it matters most. Because at the co-op, answering the call isn’t just what we do– it’s who we are.”
