In 2017, corporate communications expert Lani Jordan, Lani Jordan Communications, Saint Paul, MN (651-470-8217), took a trip to Pripyat, Ukraine to learn about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986. Jordan applied lessons from her trip, in the context of corporate crisis communication, to a presentation given Feb. 28, 2020 at the Grain Elevator and Processing Society’s (GEAPS) 24th annual Great Lakes Regional Conference and Trade Show at the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, OH.

For Portsmouth, VA-based Arreff Terminals (757-393-6534), exporting animal proteins, vegetable proteins, and whole grains across the world comprises 99% of its business, so it’s necessary for the certified organic grain handler to stay on the cutting edge of efficiency.

That was the impetus for building a new $3 million transload facility – Arreff’s fifth – that opened in April at the Port of Norfolk, VA according to Bob Delorme, chief operating officer. “We really want to be as cost-competitive as possible, so in 2018 we began looking at ways to upgrade our company operations and equipment. We also wanted to improve our ease of compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Food Safety and Modernization Act requirements.”

Arreff in XXXX purchased a 4.5-acre vacant lot, minus an old rail spur, at the Port of Norfolk with the intention of leasing the pier, installing transloading equipment, and rehabilitating the rail spur. Delorme told Grain Journal in a November phone interview that the site’s irregular shape and small footprint created a design challenge.

Tasked with handling that challenge was contractor and millwright TAM Systems, Dillsburg, PA (717-432-9738). “TAM Systems did a job for our parent company, Fornazor International, a while back, and we liked the way they do business,” says Delorme. “They do good work, and they’re creative.”

TAM Systems designed and built a unique loading system with twin 11-inch container-stuffing augers. According to Delorme, “Once we install a second rail spur in 2021, we will be able to load 40-foot containers continuously at 250 metric tons per hour. When one container is full, we toggle the product flow to the other auger, while we swap out the full container for an empty one.”

Housing the loadout equipment is a 9,860-square-foot, 116-foot-x-85- foot fabric-tensioned building constructed by Rubb Building Systems, Sanford, ME (207-324-2877).

Arreff, which was founded in 1985, operates four other transload facilities in the United States:

  • XXXX, KS.
  • XXXX, TX.
  • Two in Portsmouth.

Other major contributors to the project were:

  • J.C. Driskill, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA, served as electrical contractor.
  • Jakes Electric LLC, Clinton, WI, installed a PLC system and controls.
  • H & B Railroad Co., Portsmouth, rehabilitated the old rail spur and laid the foundation for the eventual second rail spur.

Utilizing Twin Augers

Incoming railcars are unloaded onto a 10,000-bph Essmueller Hi-Flite drag conveyor, then product is elevated through a Honeyville bucket elevator equipped with 16x8 4B Components low-profile buckets, plus bearing and motion sensors. The leg feeds a 10,000-bph C&A Scale bulkweigher, which sends product out a Honeyville drag conveyor to deliver the exact weight programmed for each shipping container or truck in the two stuffing stations. A Honeyville reversing drag conveyor equipped with LCDM pneumatic slide gates runs between the two loadout lines to fill one of the two container-stuffing augers, which are designed to allow for loading stationary containers/trucks without needing to pull forward during the filling process.

Filled containers then are loaded onto oceangoing vessels at the pier. “We do business with all of the major carriers,” adds Delorme, who is pleased with how the facility has operated since it opened in April. “While business has been affected by COVID-19, we expect volume to pick up significantly in 2021, especially once we have the second rail spur installed.” Once fully operational, the facility will have 18 full-time employees.

Tucker Scharfenberg, managing editor

Your Readiness Checklist

  • We have a crisis communication plan.
  • We’ve identified potential incidents and issues and assessed our risks.
  • We have solid key messages and use them in our regular communication.
  • We have a physical response plan for incidents involving our operation.
  • We have a relationship with area news media.
  • We have a media policy for employees and have communicated it.
  • We have a social media policy for employees and have communicated it.
  • We have designated individuals to serve as spokespeople.
  • Our spokespeople have received training.
  • We have a crisis response process.
  • We have a crisis management team and backups.
  • We conduct regular drills and tabletop exercises.
  • We update our plan at least annually.

Crisis Communication Lessons

  • Don’t create your own crisis.
  • -Take things seriously; it’s better to over-prepare than to do too little.
  • Leadership and culture matter.
  • Time is of the essence – you need a plan.
  • Be prepared to communicate.
  • Put people first.

Where Are Your Gaps?

  • Anticipating crises.
  • Practicing before they happen.
  • Preparedness.
  • Communicating plans to all employees.
  • No backup communication person.
  • We don’t have a written plan/consistent format.
  • Planning for top risks.
  • Drills and training.
  • Providing the right responses from the right person.
  • Coordination between business owners and safety management team.

Media Policy

  • Only designated spokespeople are authorized to speak officially to media.
  • All spokespeople will be prepped.
  • Employees should direct media queries to the designated spokesperson.

COVID-19 Communication Checklist

  • We have identified our primary stakeholders.
  • We know what is most important to each of our audiences.
  • We have identified available communication tools for each audience:

- Email.

- Socially distanced personal contact.

- Our public website.

- Virtual meetings.

- Newsletters (print or electronic).

- Statement stuffers.

- Social media.

- News media.

Social Media Lessons

  • News now breaks online and on social media.
  • Your crisis may develop or grow on social media.
  • Respond in the forum where story surfaced.
  • Remember: You can’t erase or correct inaccurate information.

Key Messages and Standby Statements

  • Key messages are statements that are consistent with values, behavior, and objectives of your business.
  • Standby statements adapt key messages to the details of a specific incident or issue and are developed for use, as needed. They are also:

- Targeted to specific audiences.

- Include specific examples.

- Personal experiences.

- Facts and figures.

- Comparisons or analogies.

People: The Media

  • • Designate company spokespeople in advance.
  • • Arrange for media training.
  • • Have backups.
  • • Remember that spokespeople can vary by:

- Geography.

- Extent of significant injury/death/ environment.

- Impact on community/multiple people/broad geography.

- Long-term consequences.

• Build relationships in advance.

Working With The Media

  • Be prepared to issue a statement within 20 minutes.
  • Demonstrate concern and compassion.
  • Stay calm and remain professional.
  • Ignoring or “no comment” is not an option.
  • Controlled access is appropriate.
  • Establish times and places for updates.
  • Focus on key messages.
  • Stick to the facts – it’s important to avoid speculative statements.
  • It’s okay to say: “I don’t know, but I’ll get back to you when I do.”

Social Media Policy

  • • You can’t keep employees off social media.
  • • However, you can set guidelines on:

- Where smartphones can be used.

- Who speaks as an official voice of company.

• Provide messages in times of crisis.



Reprinted in November/December Grain Journal 2020