BCS to expand again

A locally-owned soil fertility and pest management business is expanding again.

BCS, LLC has announced plans to put up a new facility between Gibson City and Melvin on Route 54 with construction starting in June or July. BCS general manager Don Brucker says the business has a large clientele in that area and they thought it would be an efficient way to serve those customers.

“We pride ourselves on our service and we just thought it would be a good opportunity,” said Brucker.

The new location will offer chemical, fertilizer and seed service and should be up and running by the spring of 2018. The location is perfect for BCS staff as Brucker considers nearby Champaign and Iroquois counties “definite” places to develop.

Current BCS locations include the McLean County towns of Weston and Arrowsmith. Services at Weston include fertilizer, chemicals and soil testing. The Arrowsmith location sells seed and offers seed treatment as they treat 90,000-100,000 units per year.

When Brucker first started the business, he did soil testing and worked out of an office from his home in Melvin. The business has grown a lot since then and looks forward to returning to the area.

Brucker began in 1998 by pulling samples and making recommendations on about 35,000 acres. By 2004, he had demand for applications. That was when the soil sampling business grew to about 55,000 acres. Today, they test around 140,000 acres of soil and do 185,000 acres of liquid and dry application.

“We’ve been very fortunate and appreciate all of the support we’ve gotten over the years,” Brucker added.

When he started the business, Brucker’s goal was to have five facilities and the Ford County location will be number three. Brucker attributes the business’s continued success with being independent, noting farmers still like that one-on-one relationship and honesty.

“If people have problems, they deal with me. We’re up front with our pricing. We consistently send pricing out to our customers throughout the year.”

As we approach spring, Brucker suggests farmers watch their dollars, know breakeven prices and plan accordingly.

For more information, contact BCS at 815-945-7076, 309-727-1500 or call Don directly: 217-249-2613.