What LeMar Industries does

LeMar Industries, founded in 1982 in Des Moines, Iowa by Bob and Sharron Martin, designs and manufactures custom structural steel products for grain handling, storage, and aggregate/material-handling facilities. Its four core product lines are Towers (bucket elevator support towers up to 220+ feet tall and catwalk support towers), Catwalks (handrail, walk-thru, and custom trusses up to 270+ feet), Temporary Storage (bunker wall systems with aeration ranging from 100,000 to 2 million bushels), and Specialty Fabrication (custom super structures including hopper tanks, rock boxes, and aggregate supports). Manufacturing relies on a patented Slot & Tab connection system, in-house CAD-based engineering, AISC-certified fabrication, and AWS-certified welding across a roughly 100,000 square foot LEAN manufacturing footprint in Des Moines with a secondary facility in Sheffield, Iowa.

The company's go-to-market is primarily through an established dealer network, supplemented by direct enterprise sales to grain elevators, commercial storage operators, seed processors, fertilizer and feed operations, and aggregate/mining operators across the US and internationally. Pricing is quote-based, tied to custom fabrication specifications, and supported by multi-year dealer and customer relationships. LeMar was acquired on December 31, 2012 by CTB, Inc. (a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary) and operates today as a division of CTB Midwest, Inc., serving as the structural-fabrication arm of CTB's Brock Grain Systems business unit, which bundles LeMar towers and catwalks with Brock grain bins, drying, conditioning, and handling equipment.

Customer evidence spans more than a dozen named enterprise accounts across agriculture (Koehl Bros, AG Partners, SMA, Bratney Companies, Custom Agri Builders), construction (Graber Construction, Hogenson Construction, Thorstad Construction), aggregates/mining (Martin Marietta), industrial services (Mid States Millwright, Nay Company), and international deployments (RISE - Ukraine). Certifications and compliance (AISC, AWS, CE) plus global project installations underpin LeMar's ability to engineer site-specific solutions across wind, seismic, and snow load conditions. Revenue is generated through one-time custom equipment sales priced per project specification, with no subscription or recurring licensing component.

Name

LeMar Industries

Legal name

LeMar Industries, A Division of CTB Midwest Inc.

Website

https://lemarindustries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

LeMar Industries, a division of CTB Midwest (Berkshire Hathaway), designs and manufactures custom structural steel products — towers, catwalks, temporary grain storage, and specialty fabrications — for grain-handling, storage, and aggregate operators, sold through dealers and direct B2B channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grain Handling Equipment

NAICS

Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing (332312), Plate Work and Fabricated Structural Product Manufacturing (33231), Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (3312)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440), Prefabricated Metal Buildings & Components (3448), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Steel Plate, Sections & Welded Assemblies (IMADACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Metals & Steel Mill Facility Construction (IMAFADAF)

Keywords

• Grain handling equipment
• Structural steel fabrication
• Bucket elevator towers
• Catwalk support structures
• Temporary grain storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom Structural Equipment Sales: LeMar generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of custom structural equipment including bucket elevator support towers, catwalks, temporary grain storage systems, and specialty fabrication for the agricultural and aggregate industries. Products are sold through dealer networks and direct customer relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LeMar Industries designs, engineers, and fabricates custom structural steel solutions for grain handling, grain storage, and aggregate/material handling applications. Its product line includes support towers for bucket elevators, catwalk and support structures, temporary grain storage systems, and specialty steel fabrications built to customer specifications using AISC/AWS certified processes and CAD-driven engineering.

Product overview

LeMar Industries offers a unified portfolio of grain handling and storage structural solutions, primarily serving the agricultural and aggregate industries. The product lineup consists of four core offerings: Towers (bucket elevator support towers and catwalk support towers with patented slot & tab technology), Catwalks (handrail trusses, walk-thru trusses, and custom trusses), Temporary Storage (bunker storage systems with aeration and tarp solutions), and Specialty Fabrication (custom super structures). These products are designed to work together as an integrated grain handling system, complementing Brock Grain Systems' line of grain storage, handling, drying and conditioning equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Support Towers Custom-engineered structural support towers designed to support bucket elevators and headhouse structures at grain elevators and material handling facilities. Built to AISC/AWS certified fabrication standards with the patented Slot & Tab connection system for simplified field assembly.
• Catwalks Custom-fabricated catwalk and support structures used to provide access between grain handling equipment, towers, and storage facilities. Designed to project specifications and built using AISC/AWS certified fabrication processes.
• Temporary Storage Temporary grain storage systems used by grain operations to add seasonal or short-term storage capacity. Custom engineered and fabricated to site requirements.
• Specialty Fabrication Custom structural steel fabrication services for grain, aggregate, and industrial material handling customers requiring non-standard structures or components. Built to AISC/AWS certified quality standards and engineered in-house using CAD.

Quantifiable outcome

• Temporary storage systems range from 100,000 to 2 million bushels capacity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Caldwell Tanks: Designer and fabricator of large custom steel tanks and elevated water storage structures. Adjacent to LeMar in heavy custom steel fabrication capabilities, AISC-certified scope, and engineering-driven project model, though serving water/industrial end-markets rather than grain handling.

Direct peers

• GSI (Grain Systems Inc., AGCO): AGCO-owned global manufacturer of grain storage bins, material handling equipment, and conditioning systems. Direct competitor to LeMar and Brock in commercial grain terminals and on-farm storage, with overlapping bucket elevator and catwalk offerings.
• Sioux Steel Company: South Dakota-based manufacturer of grain bins, hopper tanks, and grain handling/structural equipment. Competes with LeMar in grain storage structures and on-farm/commercial handling installations.
• Superior Grain Equipment: Manufacturer of grain handling equipment including bucket elevators, conveyors, catwalks, and support structures. Smaller-scale direct competitor to LeMar in the grain handling structural equipment category.
• Sweet Manufacturing Company: Ohio-based manufacturer of bucket elevators, catwalks, support towers, and grain handling conveyors. Closest direct competitor to LeMar's core tower and catwalk product line, serving the same agricultural dealer channels.
• Sukup Manufacturing Co. Iowa-based family-owned manufacturer of grain bins, dryers, handling equipment (including bucket elevators, catwalks, and towers), and steel buildings. Directly competes with LeMar across towers, catwalks, and complete grain handling systems serving the same agricultural dealer network.
• Behlen Manufacturing: Manufacturer of grain bins, grain handling systems, and engineered steel buildings with global operations. Direct competitor in grain storage structures and handling equipment across North American and international markets.
• Chief Industries / Chief Agri: Nebraska-based manufacturer of grain storage bins, handling equipment, and steel buildings serving commercial and on-farm grain customers. Competes head-to-head with LeMar in grain handling structures and towers.

Emerging players

• Warrior Manufacturing: Manufacturer of bucket elevators and grain/material handling equipment. Smaller emerging competitor with partial overlap to LeMar's tower and elevator product line, primarily in North American agricultural and industrial markets.

Broad incumbents

• Brock Grain Systems (CTB, Inc.): Sister division of LeMar within CTB/Inc., offering grain bins, dryers, conditioning, and handling equipment. Overlaps with LeMar's structural handling line and is sold into the same customer base, often as a bundled solution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LeMar Industries