Sustaining Sponsor Spotlight: North Dakota Grain Inspection Services | Office Grain Inspection

The Ohio AgriBusiness Association is pleased to feature our Sustaining Sponsors in the 2021 Spotlight Series. This week, the focus is on Bronze Sponsor: North Dakota Grain Inspection Services | Office Grain Inspection.

Location (Main Headquarters): 4150 98^th Avenue South, Fargo, ND 58104

Year started: 1968

Number of employees: NDGI has grown from 3 employees in 1968 providing service to a small local area to over 175 employees in 2021 servicing customers in 9 states across the nation.

Number of facilities: NDGI is one of the largest agencies in the US federally licensed to sample and grade grain/commodities under the United States Grain Standards Act and the Agricultural Marketing Act.  We are currently operating in parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, but are able to grade submitted samples from across the nation. 

Type of services offered:

We give accurate and consistent inspection of agricultural products. Whether the grain has recently been harvested, is being delivered to a domestic processor, or is entering the export market, a federally licensed lab is the most dependable and precise inspection option available. This is vital to your bottom-line whether you are a producer, merchandiser or buyer.

We service all parties in the production, merchandising, storage, and processing of grain, such as serving both the buyer and the seller of agricultural commodities, like elevator and merchandisers.  We also serve the producer and the processor by providing certificates and providing licensed inspection labs for independent sampling and inspection onsite.

Company history:

NDGI has been servicing the inspection needs of Eastern North Dakota and Western Minnesota since 1968. Steve Adams, Owner of NDGI, has always been an avid supporter of the official system, promoting the official inspection system to all that would listen and through published articles. Today, Steve's tenets to provide accurate results, timely service, and always pushing to improve the company, have grown the agency from its North Dakota headquarters in Fargo to operations in eight states.

NDGI prides itself in the important role they play in the grain marketing system. The intensity found in the grain marketing system rivals and exceeds most other industries, although those outside the grain industry rarely know this. A small mistake by the agency can have huge ramifications for commission houses, grain companies and the railroads. Steve Adams realized that being in this critical point, between all these forces required NDGI to continually look for better ways to provide timely service, and accurate results.

How has your company changed over the years?

In 1999 NDGI Service, Inc. saw the opportunity to expand the scope of its enterprise and purchased Southern Illinois Grain Inspection, now known as NDGI Illinois. At the time, Southern Illinois Grain Inspection had been doing business in Illinois for 21 years. In 2003, NDGI expanded its services to Dickinson, ND and to Southeastern Montana. Most recently, NDGI began operations in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. With these acquisitions, NDGI now handles all forms of inspections from rail, truck, barge and containers.

After the different territory acquisitions, NDGI began expansion in servicing agricultural products for their customers. In late 2017, NDGI established sampling and grading for peas, lentils, and edible beans from their North Dakota office. This addition to services grew the North Dakota office to become full service. NDGI can now accommodate testing for over 15 various commodities throughout the regional offices.

How do you see your company growing in the future?

NDGI hopes to grow with its customers in the services needed. If there are items that would make grain handler’s lives easier, more efficient, profitable, etc, we want to help make that possible with our services. NDGI has the capabilities of adding on various laboratory tests outside of the USDA scope. Management is always excited to talk about potential new opportunities!

Interesting tidbits about your business:

NDGI is a family business with Steve Adam’s son, Mike Adams as the President, his daughter Kia Adams-Mikesh as Vice President and his son, Mark Adams as Quality Assurance Director.  Together they make up over 80 years of experience in the grain industry. 

How has OABA helped your business or the agribusiness industry?

OABA has been a great support since we entered the Ohio market in 2016. Chris and the team helped us navigate the history and current status of the grain industry within the state. We have been so appreciative of the support and networking that the association has provided.

Interested in becoming a Sustaining Sponsor in 2022? 

Click here to learn more about the program or contact Nicole Volk at nvolk@oaba.net. Sustaining sponsors will automatically be promoted as such at all 2022 OABA events and will not be approached for sponsorship opportunities throughout the year. 

Note that because the OABA Educational Trust is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, sponsorships related to this trust are separate from OABA.