Australia is the world’s third largest supplier of cotton, behind the US and India, with the annual crop worth approximately $2 billion. As the sole supplier to an industry which underpins the viability of over 150 rural communities, Cotton Seed Distributors (CSD) is keenly aware of its responsibility to satisfactorily meet the growing demand for quality seed. CDS’s $90 million upgrade of its Shenstone seed processing facility at Wee Waa is part of its effort to ensure that it is solidly positioned to cater to this demand.

For the first half of 2018, the Shenstone project will focus on installing new plant and equipment in the state-of-the-art processing plant, laboratory and office complex. An initial investment of $41 million was allocated for this phase, with further investment to be made in cotton delinting and treatment equipment.

This phase of the project called for world-class structural design skills, and contractor Brolton Group called in SOTO Engineers for the acknowledged expertise of SOTO’s Computer Aided Engineering team. The SOTO team’s integrated, multi-disciplinary engineering and drafting service through state-of-the-art computer-aided design programs delivered high-quality structural steel and plant layout drawings for the project.

For Brolton and CSD, having SOTO on board provided thorough understanding of how project components would work together. Equally important, SOTO delivered confidence in the structural efficiency, as well as the viability and sustainability of their structural designs in the future. SOTO has developed a strong reputation over nearly decades as a trusted partner of the agribusiness sector, and is always proud to be associated with Australia’s farming and agriculture industry.