b'the business invested in building and developing the Merit Shop Millwright Apprenticeship Program in Iowa. After only seven years, Keen has become one of the Midwests leaders in providing design, engineering, and construction of agricultural and industrial facilities. With more than 100 direct-hire millwrights in the field, a large part of Keens growth can be attributed to future planning around their growing workforce.Why it Matters to the Seed Industry: This presentation will illuminate what we can all learn by taking the long view on growing internal talent.Seedbox Solution: New Seed BoxesCreate Freight Savings and Capital Improvement OpportunitiesPresented by: Jon Bertolino and Matt Dannenfeldt, National Sales Manager and FounderDescription: Seedbox Solution, based in Gurnee, Ill., addresses the high freight and plastic cost with innovative rental solutions. Innovators in hard box design, service and management, Seedbox Solution has moved the marker again during these times when freight cost and commodities are at record highs. No longer do seed producers have to decide whether to reserve capital for business expansion or buy more hard boxes. Just call Seedbox Solution, sign a simple contract and the boxes are delivered to your door in a clean, untreated condition, ready for use. Bertolino also states that the renter doesnt even need to repair or wash boxes after they have used them. Just return the boxes to a designated return center and Seedbox Solution does the rest. Why it Matters to the Seed Industry: Operators who already own boxes understand that ownership has many costs above and beyond the first capital purchase. Washing, repair and warehousing of seed boxes create costs that take the focus away from seed production and moves it to seed box management. The rental seed box platform is fast becoming a preferred way to manage the needs of the end user who wants seed delivered in a box, while addressing the seed producers desire to provide seed at the lowest cost per unit, with the least amount of expense in packaging. Seedbox Solution has built this rental model over the past three seasons to address the ever-increasing difficulty in finding labor and time to manage boxes. The rental seed box is the best alternative to ensure the seed buyer gets the packaging they prefer at the lowest cost to the provider.Seedbox Solution also recognizes that not every company wants to rent. Understanding this, Seedbox Solution created the GEN250 seed box in 2018, which allows an operator to load 66 empty seed boxes in a semi-trailer versus the old style that maxed out at only 44 boxes in a trailer. The GEN250s intuitive design, which mirrors the old-style boxes in equipment fit, seed count, and features, provides 50% freight savings every time you move a load of empty boxes. This savings starts the day you buy your first load and ship from the factory. With todays fuel prices and freight cost at record highs, the GEN250 seed box has proven to create savings the first day you move it and every time thereafter. Popp Engineering: Seed Conditioning and How the Current Supply Chains Affect Planning andConstruction ProjectsPresented by: Jon Popp, OwnerDescription: The current supply chain delays are causing problems with manufacturing and construction projects all over the world. When parts and machines are delayed, how do you operate your business? When existing systems breakdown, how do you put your system back in operation? These become critical decisions that we have not faced before. Long lead times do not appear to be going away, how does this affect the seed industry in the future.Why it Matters to the Seed Industry: The seed industry works on a specific schedule based on when the growing crop is ready to be harvested. This has to happen at a specific time for the best seed quality and yield. Waiting for a delayed part is not an option. Having ways to work within the current supply chain schedules is key to the seed industry. 70/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2021'