December 28, 2023

Striving for Excellence: Savage’s 2023 Year in Review

When the three founding Savage brothers wrote down their desires for the company, its longevity was at the top of the list: “Our vision and legacy for this Company is that it will continue for future generations.”

Not only did they want to create a sustainable business that would last, but it needed to be strong as well. “We expect the Company to be aggressive… pursuing business opportunities where it can succeed by developing trusting relationships with customers.”

As we near the end of 2023, we look back at our year in review and measure our accomplishments against the brothers’ established metric: are we growing, and are we strong? By developing strategic partnerships, serving in the community, and even winning awards, Savage companies are finishing the year better than ever.

The Year in Review Turns Our Attention to the Future, Even as We Look Back

Some of the most exciting developments at Savage and Bartlett were projects that took great strides in 2023, and will conclude in the near future.

Bartlett’s Soybean Crushing Facility

On the agribusiness side, our soybean crushing plant in Cherryvale, Kansas is on track to have a strong opening in 2024. The bulk of construction was handled this year, as well as hiring the first Team Members who will work with local producers to process their harvests. This facility will play a major role in our growth as a sustainable business by providing:

Food-grade products
Animal feed
Renewable fuel sources

As Bob Knief, president of Bartlett, said at the groundbreaking, the facility will “support our nation’s transition to renewable fuels by sourcing up to 65 million gallons of feedstock for renewable transportation fuels annually, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 400,000 tons a year.”

Learn more about the Cherryvale plant

Azure Sustainable Fuels Corp. Strengthens Partnership with Savage Companies

As part of Savage’s ongoing mission to Power Our Lives and Sustain the Planet, we joined with Azure to enhance their sustainable fuel supply chain. This partnership will help them realize some key goals, including:

The completion of multiple sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facilities by the end of 2024,
Competently managing organic SAF feedstock with the help of Bartlett’s expertise on the agribusiness side; and
Improving distribution of SAF to customers across North America.

Strategic partnerships like these are essential for a more sustainable future.

Success is Magnified with Strategic Partnerships

The coming together of Bartlett and Savage in 2018 – two strong companies, each with their own strengths but united by a common goal – has lead to great things. More than one of these strategic partnerships were forged in 2023.

Savage Expands Its Scope in the Ag Sector by Acquiring The Dupuy Group

Working alongside its joint venture partner, Ridgewood Infrastructure, Savage took an important step in 2023 to strengthen its influence in agriculture logistics. This came by the way of acquiring The Dupuy Group, a logistics infrastructure and service provider that owns and operates intermodal hubs across the Southern United States.

Dupuy brings decades of experience to the process of managing industrial and food-grade products, including:

Tea
Coffee
Malted barley
Paper
Various metals

The Dupuy Group is just one of the fruits of the strategic partnerships that Savage has established, and we anticipate more beneficial acquisitions as opportunity arises.

Read the press release

Savage Became a More Sustainable Business in 2023

A year in review like this helps to underscore an important focus for Savage: We care about becoming a sustainable business. That means being a part of the solution, wherever possible.

Savage Joins Cyclyx in the Fight Against Plastic Waste

As we wrote earlier in the year, only about 5% of all plastics are repurposed. Additionally, the bulk of unrecycled plastic is a “single use” product.

Savage added its knowledge and infrastructure to Cyclyx this year to aid in their mission to increase general recycling rates from 10% to 90%. We will do this by helping to safely move and manage millions of tons of plastic materials across our transload network.

Read the press release

Bartlett, a Savage Company, Partners with Campbell

The collaboration of Bartlett and Campbell Soup Company is a type of the strategic partnerships that help sustainability grow. In November of 2023, both companies joined forces to support North Carolina wheat farmers by helping them improve soil health and conservation.

These producers grow the wheat crops that Campbell uses in their products and has pledged financial aid for wish to participate. Bartlett’s crop advisors will help producers narrow down the most helpful practices.

Learn more Bartlett’s partnership with Campbell