PARKERSBURG -- Tin barely attached to the side of the Sinclair Elevator feed mill flapped in the breeze Monday, as feed poured into a delivery truck below and grain trucks arrived with ingredients to make more.

Elevator officials and farmers say it's a beautiful sight. Not the damaged mill, which still bears the scars from an EF5 tornado that nearly wiped it off its lot in May, but the grain coming in and hog feed going out.

Sinclair is open for business.

Contractors feverishly worked for about four months to get the elevator operational -- albeit on a limited basis. The feed mill started churning out feed last week, and small quantities of dried corn and soybeans are now being accepted.

Area farmers and employees, who rely on the elevator to sell grain, feed their livestock and earn a living, say they weren't sure if this day would ever come, judging by the amount of destruction caused by the twister. Every bin was ripped apart, the feed mill -- the business' bread and butter -- was severely damaged. Office, fertilizer and chemical storage buildings were destroyed.

And if it did get rebuilt right away, people had serious doubts whether it would be ready for harvest.

"I thought it was impossible," said Denny Kannegieter, a Parkersburg area farmer.

Who could blame him? Owners Roger and Angie Baker initially had concerns insurance money to cover cleanup and reconstruction costs would fall woefully short. And building nine new bins capable of holding 2.2 million bushels, a 1.4 million-bushel temporary storage area, two 14,400-square-foot buildings and repairing the feed mill in about four months seemed a stretch.

The Bakers decided not rebuilding wasn't an option. Sinclair is too important to the community, they said.

Plus, the couple said Nationwide Insurance and area contractors like Bart Brothers from Dunkerton stepped up. Roger said his insurance agent, David Wandro of Charles City, worked so nearly all the $8 million to $9 million rebuilding cost would be covered and contractors worked into the night and weekends.

"We're feeling good keeping everyone employed," Roger said.

Area farmers appear to be just as giddy. Many rely on Sinclair as another option to sell grain, and competition helps prop up prices. It's also a drying and long-term storage facility for those that don't have enough capacity for either on the farm.

Dennis Aswegen, who farms near Parkersburg, said not having the elevator open would have been "devastating", especially at harvest. Without it, Aswegen said, harvest would be a lot slower.

"It's nice to see it going again," Aswegen said.

"We need that extra drying capacity. It would have slowed me down," Denny Kannegieter added.

However, the elevator won't be able to take grain in at full capacity until conveyer systems, the new dryer, electrical upgrades and other tasks are completed. The target date for all of that is Oct. 10.

Brent Kannegieter, Sinclair manager and Denny's brother, said that shouldn't be a problem for farmers. Given the slow development of corn this year, most won't be ready to be combined until they're ready. Even though the soybean harvest is underway, Brent said the number of soybeans taken in pales to corn -- about 200,000 bushels compared to 3 million bushels, respectively -- and Sinclair, along with its Aplington location, should be able to handle the load.

"I didn't think we would be ready (for harvest)," Brent Kannegieter said. "It's great. We're very thankful the owner chose to rebuild for employment and customer relations.

"We weren't even thinking straight (after the tornado), with the mess we had," he continued. "Our employees worked hard with cleanup, and Bart Brothers put in a lot of extra hours. Harvest is so critical for our business. We wouldn't be ready if everyone didn't bust their tail."

Rebuilding the feed mill was Sinclair's top priority, officials said. The vast majority of corn and soybeans purchased is turned into hog feed, which provides a steady source of income.

Sinclair's top feed client is Iowa Select Farms, based in Iowa Falls. Since the tornado, the hog producer primarily relied on Schneider Milling in Waverly and suppliers in central Iowa to feed their animals.

Now that Sinclair, which is closer to their hog facilities, is producing about 500 tons of feed a day again, Iowa Select officials said that will save the company in added transportation and employee expenses.

Joe Kerns, Iowa Select director of purchasing, said the shutdown did cost the company money. However, he said he's just happy the Bakers decided to rebuild to keep one of the areas larger employers and economic engines started again.

"It's wonderful. After the Memorial Day weekend (disaster), to be here four months later is pretty miraculous," Kerns said. They're (the Bakers) are good people. They felt like they owed us to get operating again, since we built our business model around them."

Iowa Select intentionally built hog facilities close to their major feed source, he added.

Despite the near destruction of the elevator, Brent Kannegieter said some good did come from the storm. The company was able to upgrade facilities to serve customers better, he said.

Once completed, drying capacity will double to 4,000 bushels per hour. Dumping capacity will also double to 25,000 bushels per hour.

That means less waiting to unload at the elevator and a more efficient harvest, which will keep customers happy.

Judging by the amount of consolidation within the grain industry, Sinclair's manager said the improvements and the feed mill will help ensure its success.

"We feel we're in a good position for an independent to survive," Kannegieter said.

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.