3…2…1…Maintenance Days

3…2…1…Maintenance Days

Keeping equipment running is only part of the job. Keeping employees trained, prepared, and connected is what keeps the grain and grain processing industries moving forward. That focus on practical, real-world learning drove a record number of GEAPS Chapter Maintenance Days this year, with chapters across the country hosting hands-on events for maintenance and front-line operations professionals.

Through expert-led sessions, equipment demonstrations, and peer-to-peer networking, attendees gained practical strategies to reduce downtime, strengthen safety practices, improve reliability, and extend equipment life. From first-time hosts to chapters that organized multiple events in a single year, Maintenance Days continued to build momentum and deliver impact.

Three-peat Success

For many chapters, hosting a single Maintenance Day is a major undertaking. For the Cornbelt Chapter and the Canadian Prairies Chapter, one event quickly turned into three.

Throughout the cornbelt, the hands-on education stretched from southern Wisconsin to southern Illinois. The chapter capitalized on Maintenance Days this year as an opportunity to better serve members across its large geographic footprint.

"We decided to split that area into three parts," said Mark Avery, active GEAPS member. "It just made sense to bring the training closer to people in each region."

The strategy worked. The chapter's first-ever Maintenance Day, hosted in Bloomington, IL, drew more than 80 attendees and introduced many first-time participants to GEAPS programming. Avery noted booth exhibits, a new addition, brought contractors to join the event, which expanded the chapter's reach beyond its traditional audience.

Each event featured a full day of practical education focused on real-world operational challenges, including material handling, elevator buckets, power transmission, and electrical systems. The Cornbelt Chapter leaders leaned heavily on the expertise already within its chapter network to build their agenda. Partnering with member companies and industry suppliers to lead sessions and demonstrations proved a three-peat success. A special call out also goes to the Grain and Feed Association of Illinois for partnering with the Cornbelt Chapter to help draw greater attendance.

Just as important as the technical training was the opportunity for attendees to connect face-to-face with peers, suppliers, and speakers.

"It's the networking," Avery said. "People can talk to the speakers one-on-one, ask questions, look at equipment, and learn from each other."

This narrative was similar for the GEAPS Canadian Prairies Chapter. The in-person interaction helped turn the events into more than training sessions; they became gathering points for maintenance and operations professionals committed to improving safety, reliability, and performance.

Not only did the Canadian Prairies Chapter host three Maintenance Days, but they spanned three provinces in three consecutive days doing so! Maintenance topics included grain dryers, drag/leg and belt conveyors, power transmission and bearings, and general elevator preventative maintenance.

The three-day endeavor was a grand success. "All of the topics were very well received," noted Canadian Prairies Chapter President Ruchi Ryley. "We had a lot of participation not just from managers, but from maintenance crews working directly in local terminals. People had the opportunity to ask detailed questions, better understand the processes behind the equipment, and really dig deeper into the mechanics of how systems operate."

Among the three events in Winnipeg, Regina, and Calgary, Ryley attributes a portion of the success to the affordability to attend thanks to the generous sponsors (pictured). From education sponsors to program sponsors, that support helped keep registration costs manageable while giving attendees direct access to technical expertise, practical troubleshooting knowledge, and conversations they could immediately take back to their facilities.

Two Good to Stop

Great Plains Chapter didn't stop at one Maintenance Day either this year. The chapter hosted two successful events in Dodge City and Salina, KS. Topics at the two included drag conveyors and chain breaking; bearing removal, gearbox orientation, and oil types; belt tension and lagging; belt splicing; and bunker tarps. Both were well-attended, continuing a tradition of professional development innovation that stretches back years before Maintenance Days became a growing movement across GEAPS.

Great Plains Chapter also played an important role in shaping the modern GEAPS Maintenance Day model. Early concepts introduced were revisited and refined post-COVID, eventually evolving into the hands-on, operations-focused format many chapters recognize today.

For chapter leaders, the goal was never simply to host another meeting. It was about creating opportunities for more industry professionals to engage at the local level while strengthening the chapter network.

"We want people to participate at the local chapter level, and we want them to be active," said Great Plains Chapter President Josh Crosby. "Think outside the box and think about the main goal of GEAPS - reaching a broader audience, growing your individual chapters, and growing GEAPS as a whole."

That mindset helped drive continued investment in Maintenance Days and the willingness to keep evolving the concept. As more chapters continue launching these events of their own, the Great Plains Chapter's early leadership and willingness to innovate continue to leave a lasting impact throughout the entire GEAPS organization.

One Strong Start

This year, a growing number of chapters proved that even one Maintenance Day can create meaningful momentum (some even hosting their very first).

From Kansas City to Minneapolis, North Iowa to the Seaway regions, chapters continued to bring the Maintenance Day experience to their own local members. The Siouxland Chapter is also preparing to host its first-ever Maintenance Day soon.