Arthur Companies CEO James Burgum is calling last month’s derecho and tornadoes the most devastating event in the company’s 120-year history. Speaking at Tuesday’s press conference with Governor Kelly Armstrong, Burgum described widespread destruction to grain storage, infrastructure, and rural communities across the company’s service area. “In my career, and I think over those 120 years, this is the worst disaster that we’ve seen in the service area that we operate,” said Burgum. “This wasn’t just a storm. This was a once-in-a-generation event.” Burgum says Arthur Companies is working to clear debris and explore creative solutions to get the grain off the field this fall. He praised the new Grain Storage and Facility Rebuilder Program, calling it essential to recovery. “The flexible financing options through the Bank of North Dakota will be critical to ensuring that we can rebuild our infrastructure quickly and limit the impact to growers.”
