MFA Incorporated Feed Mill Automation Project Feature
- Easy Automation
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
CUSTOM FEED MILL FACILITY AUTOMATION AND SOFTWARE FOR SEVEN FACILITIES
Feed Mill Automation Project Feature
Customer Name: MFA Incorporated
Location: Seven Different Sites in Kansas and Missouri
Website: https://mfa-inc.com/
Key Details: Custom feed mill automation and software at 7 different facilities.
Facilities: Emporia, Aurora, Mexico, St. Joseph, Gerald, Kirksville, Lebanon
Solution Provided
MFA Partnered with Easy Automation to automate seven of their feed mill facilities in Kansas and Missouri. MFA invested in our NexGen® Feed Mill Platform. NexGen utilizes both customer facility automation controls and business management software to bring an industry-leading solution for feed mills. Built to scale as your business scales, NexGen encompasses the needs of feed mill managers today and in the future.
Key Project Features
Reciving & Reclaim
Batching
Pelleting
Rolling, Grinding & Chopping
Textured Feed Blending & Loadout
Maintenance & Safety Monitoring
Loadout
Grain Processing
Facility Optimization Reporting
Inventory Management
Order Management
MFA Incorporated Customer Q&A
Mark Johnson, Milling Operations Manager
Q: What challenges were you experiencing that pushed you to find a solution?
“We were dealing with outdated equipment and a batching system from another automation company. We wanted to replace the system as affordably as possible and were pretty particular about having service after the sale. From our initial experience, Easy Automation’s name says it all: it’s easier to run, and their customer service has been outstanding. We replaced systems at multiple mills, and each mill required different tweaks to meet our needs.”
Q: What were your main considerations when looking for an automation partner?
“We needed ease of operation at the plants—something easy to learn and implement. We wanted equipment that gives us an advantage in being precise in our manufacturing process and turns out consistent, high-quality feed. Along with that, record keeping is a critical part of mill operations; we needed a system to capture data for auditing our manufacturing process, which affects inventory control and keeps first-in-first-out ingredients fresh. Safety was another consideration, especially when adding medicated ingredients. We wanted a partner who would work with us to keep our equipment running at peak performance. So service was a big factor. And the planning was important too. We needed a company that could evaluate our individual location needs and tailor a system to fit our operations, which Easy Automation did.”
Q: Why did you end up choosing Easy Automation as your automation partner?
“We chose Easy Automation because of their friendly staff and their work to make the system understandable. The ease of learning and operation, their willingness to adapt to our needs, and the opportunity to integrate other operational needs for MFA helped us in that decision.”
Q: What went well from initial sale to installation in your facilities?
“The upfront understanding of our expectations and needs was excellent. The switch over from one system to another was nearly flawless with minimal downtime. The upfront work took longer and involved several meetings with MFA’s IT and mill staff to ensure the automated system would communicate with our inventory platform. We started with monthly meetings, then moved to weekly meetings as the project progressed. The physical change-out took about a week per mill on average.”
Q: What has been your experience with Easy Automation's service and support?
“Our experience has been great. Since we’ve been finished with the project, we had an unusual incident with a bird strike on a power connection that scrambled some electronic components at one of our mills. We made a phone call. The Easy Automation team loaded replacement electronics and drove them down to our facility. It was good service.”
Q: What improvements have you experienced since the installation?
"The biggest improvement has been reduced downtime. When you call Easy Automation, you get someone who will fix the issue promptly. Future upgrades will be easier, and if we want to add on, it won’t require a complete replacement."
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