ripcoltd

What ripcoltd does

RIPCO, Ltd. (dba Ripco Systems) is a third-generation, family-owned grain systems contractor founded in 1962 by Gerald "Rip" Sorgius in Otwell, Indiana. The company designs, fabricates, and constructs custom grain storage, handling, and drying systems for two customer segments — family farms and commercial grain operations — across Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. It operates from three locations (Otwell HQ, Vincennes, and Ladoga), with in-house millwright installation crews, concrete and electrical scopes, an owned fleet of cranes and manlifts, and a fabrication shop that supports both new construction and service work.

The company's product offering combines represented OEM grain equipment with two proprietary branded products — the KLEENair Vacuum Grain Screener and the Vari-Air System — and it increasingly self-performs PLC-based automation with touch-screen controls as part of its electrical scope. Revenue is generated through project-based custom construction contracts (including commercial facilities on the order of 1.34 million bushels), recurring parts and service work on installed assets, and a secondary used-equipment resale channel operated in partnership with Grain Systems Distribution. The company is privately held with no external investment, employs ~16+ named staff across sales, operations, electrical, fabrication, and service, and competes primarily as a regional specialty-trade integrator rather than a national platform.

Name

ripcoltd

Legal name

RIPCO, Ltd.

Website

https://ripcoltd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ripco Systems is a third-generation, family-owned grain systems contractor that designs, builds, and services custom grain storage, handling, and drying facilities for family farms and commercial grain operators across Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Grain Systems

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Grain Dryer Systems Integration & Installation (AFAOAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bulk Grain Conveying & Handling Systems (Conveyors/Legs/Spouts) (AFAOAAAI), Grain Cleaning & Scalping at Terminals (AFAOAAAE), Weighing, Sampling & Grading Stations (Scale Houses) (AFAOAAAJ)

Keywords

• Grain storage systems
• Grain handling equipment
• Grain drying systems
• Agricultural construction services
• Millwright installation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Otwell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Grain System Design and Construction: Custom design, engineering, and construction of complete grain systems including farm grain facilities and commercial grain facilities. One-time project-based revenue from design through installation.
2. Equipment Sales: Sales of grain storage bins, grain dryers, grain handling equipment (augers, bucket elevators, drag conveyors), Vari-Air systems, KLEENair systems, and parts inventory. Includes both new equipment and refurbished used equipment.
3. Maintenance and Inspection Services: Pre-season preventative maintenance, inspections, and repair services for grain handling systems. Factory-trained personnel perform testing and repairs on electrical, gas, belt, bucket, and other components.
4. Custom Fabrication: Custom fabrication services using AutoCAD design with over 5,000 square feet fabrication shop. Creates special length augers, discontinued parts, and unique transitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ripco Systems designs, builds, and services complete grain handling, storage, and drying systems for agricultural operations. The company offers turnkey grain system solutions including grain bins, augers, bucket elevators, drag conveyors, dryers, and proprietary Vari-Air and KLEENair systems. They handle all aspects of grain facility projects from design and concrete foundations through millwright installation, electrical work, custom fabrication, and ongoing maintenance.

Product overview

Ripco Systems is a third-generation family-owned grain systems company founded in 1962, specializing in the custom design, construction, and servicing of complete grain systems. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of grain storage, handling, and drying products including Grain Storage bins, Grain Handling equipment (augers, bucket elevators, drag conveyors), Grain Drying & Conditioning systems (mixed flow, low profile, and tower dryers), Vari-Air variable speed conveying systems, and KLEENair vacuum grain screeners. These core products are complemented by Parts Inventory services and Used Equipment sales. Ripco provides end-to-end services including Grain System Design, Concrete Foundations, Millwright Field Installation, Electrical Systems, Custom Fabrication, Maintenance & Inspection, and Construction Equipment rental. The company serves small family farms, large grain elevators, commercial feed mills, and distilleries across Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grain Storage Grain bins for on-farm and commercial storage, available in various diameters and capacities, with options for stiffened and unstiffened configurations to protect grain investment against winds up to 90mph.
• Grain Handling Complete grain handling equipment including transport augers, bucket elevators, drag chain conveyors, double run conveyors, grain loop conveyors, bin unloading equipment, bin sweeps, and support towers/catwalks.
• Grain Drying & Conditioning Grain dryers including mixed flow dryers (200-7,500 bu/hr), low profile dryers (250-1,900 bu/hr), and tower dryers (1,000-10,000 bu/hr), along with dryer controls and temperature/moisture monitoring systems.
• Vari-Air Systems Variable speed grain conveying systems that automatically adjust speed according to air pressure, featuring tri-lobe blower technology for quieter operation and smoother air delivery.
• KLEENair Vacuum Grain Screener Vacuum grain screener that moves fines and bees wings up to 200 feet away with a 5 HP blower, available in single and three phase with cleaning capacities up to 4,770 bushels per hour.
• Used Equipment Refurbished used grain equipment including dryers (continuous flow and batch), augers, and air systems, with almost 4,000 square feet dedicated to equipment refurbishing.
• Custom Fabrication Custom fabrication services using AutoCAD design and a 5,000+ square foot fabrication shop equipped with iron worker, band saw, shear and press brake for special length augers, discontinued parts, and unique transitions.
• Maintenance & Inspection Pre-season preventative maintenance and inspections for electrical/gas components, belt and buckets, wear liners, motor bearings, gearboxes, and grain dryer parts, performed by factory-trained personnel.
• Construction Equipment Rental Construction equipment including hydraulic truck cranes (200T, 70T, 65T, 35T), JLG man-lifts (135', 86', 66'), telehandlers, skid steers, and equipped service trucks.
• Millwright Field Installation Professional millwright installation services with over 100 years of combined experience in agriculture and feed industries, including onsite welding, fabrication, and equipment installation.
• Electrical Systems Electrical installation from basic switch operations to complex PLC automation with touch screen control, including monitoring grain drying systems from mobile devices.
• Concrete Foundations Concrete foundation construction designed to secure bins against winds up to 90mph, with engineering based on soil conditions, location, and bin dimensions.
• Grain System Design Custom grain system design using AutoCAD by in-house engineers, examining harvest capacity needs, growth plans, budget, and site evaluations for solution-based project layouts.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Grain Systems DistributionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRipco Systems works with Grain Systems Distribution as a partner to help customers find quality used grain dryers and equipment. When customers are looking for specific equipment that Ripco doesn't have in stock, they leverage this partnership to help locate what customers need.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GSI (Grain Systems Inc.): GSI manufactures grain storage bins, grain dryers, and material handling equipment serving both on-farm and commercial grain facilities. Ripco lists GSI as one of its parts inventory manufacturers, indicating it services GSI equipment — putting GSI in direct competition with Ripco's turnkey system installations.
• NECO (AGI): NECO manufactures grain dryers and handling equipment serving farm and commercial grain operations, directly overlapping Ripco's grain drying and conveying product offering. NECO equipment appears in Ripco's parts inventory.
• DMC (Dryer Master Corporation): DMC manufactures grain dryer moisture monitoring and control systems — directly comparable to Ripco's PLC-based electrical systems and temperature/moisture monitoring offerings for grain dryers. DMC appears in Ripco's parts inventory.
• Hutchinson (AGI): Hutchinson manufactures grain handling augers and conveyors — directly comparable to Ripco's grain handling product line (transport augers, bucket elevators, drag conveyors). Hutchinson equipment is also sold through Ripco's parts inventory.
• Brock Grain Systems: Brock manufactures grain storage bins, dryers, and handling equipment — directly overlapping Ripco's product portfolio. Ripco explicitly distributes Brock equipment (used Brock SQ32E on its used equipment inventory), making Brock both a supplier and a peer competing for the same on-farm and commercial grain facility projects.
• Farm Fans / FFI Corporation: Farm Fans manufactures commercial and on-farm grain dryers — a direct competitor to Ripco's grain drying & conditioning line including mixed flow, low profile, and tower dryers. Farm Fans equipment is also serviced via Ripco's parts inventory.
• Sukup Manufacturing: Sukup is a leading U.S. manufacturer of grain bins, grain dryers, and material handling equipment for on-farm and commercial grain operations. Like Ripco, Sukup sells both standalone equipment and integrated grain systems, with strong presence in the Midwest Corn Belt directly overlapping Ripco's territory.
• Superior Grain Equipment: Superior Grain Equipment is an Indiana-based manufacturer/integrator of grain storage and handling systems, directly competing with Ripco in its home Midwest market with overlapping on-farm and commercial grain system capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• AGI (Ag Growth International): AGI is the broad incumbent parent of multiple grain equipment brands (GSI, Brock, Hutchinson, Farm Fans, NECO, MFS, DMC) — many of which Ripco services and resells. AGI competes at a national and international scale on the same product categories Ripco addresses regionally.

Regional players

• Chief Agri / Chief Industries: Chief Agri manufactures grain storage bins and handling equipment with strong Midwest U.S. presence. As a Nebraska-based manufacturer, Chief competes with Ripco for commercial grain projects in overlapping Corn Belt geographies while also serving markets Ripco does not reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ripco-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 ripcoltd