1906
Arthur Farmers Elevator incorporated; Joseph Arthur Burgum named manager, giving local growers their own marketing channel.
1915
Elevator generates power for itself and sells surplus to the town each night—first sign the firm will solve problems beyond grain handling.
1925
Founder Joseph passes; son Leland Burgum becomes president while widow Jessamine Burgum joins the board—cementing multigenerational stewardship.
1931
Purchase of Hunter Light & Power diversifies revenue during the Great Depression.
1933
Alton Burgum appointed manager, ensuring operational continuity.
1940-46
Hybrid-corn seed program launched, foreshadowing a later push into proprietary genetics.
1957
First ND retailer to apply bulk ammonium-nitrate fertilizer.
1959
Employee profit-sharing trust established decades before ESOPs were common.
1960
Builds North Dakota's first retail bulk-fertilizer plant, anchoring a full-service agronomy arm.
1962-1971
Joe Burgum served as manager for nearly a decade.
1965-68
Acquisitions of Erie and Ayr elevators extend the footprint.
1970
Rick Burgum and Joe Peltier became co-managers until Joe's retirement in 1992; throughput tops 2.6 million bushels.
1971
Second ND ammonia facility built and 50% of Interstate Seed acquired.
1981-85
Harvey Farmers Elevator purchased; wholesale-fertilizer arm AgResource and a Harvey feed mill added, pushing grain handled past 6 million bushels.
1984
Arthur took a bold step into technology, backing a small Fargo startup and establishing a subsidiary that would become Great Plains Software.
1991-92
Led by Keith Peltier, Arthur created Proseed a proprietary sunflower genetics company which evolved into a trait focused seed company and quickly gained traction in the Northern Plains.
1993
Farmers Elevator of Arthur changed its name to The Arthur Companies, Inc.
1995
Great Plains Software raises $10 million in private equity and spins out—marking a new chapter after a decade of shared growth.
1997
Great Plains goes public on the NASDAQ, raising $48 million and launching midwest tech into the national spotlight.
2001
110-car shuttle loader completed at Ayr and Anamoose site bought; annual volume climbs to 8.6 million bushels.
Microsoft acquires Great Plains Software for $1.1 billion, bringing Fargoborn innovation onto a global stage.
2005-09
Page and Buffalo elevators acquired, finishing an east-to-west origination corridor across the Red River Valley.
2013
Brooks Burgum named CEO, ushering in fourth-generation leadership.
2015
System throughput hits a record 35 million bushels—13x 1985 levels—validating two decades of shuttle and agronomy investment. Launched Anchor ingredients, expanding reach into premium ingredient sourcing and processing. The move strengthened Arthur's position through the value chain, from farm gate to end-user.
2021
James Burgum becomes CEO, and Arthur acquires seven Idaho elevator facilities from Thresher Artisan Wheat.
2023
In-house wheat-breeding program launched to deliver higher-yield Northern Plains varieties by the 2027 season.
2024
Through majority-owned Anchor Ingredients, the company launches North Freeze Dry petfood plant, moving further down the value chain into high-protein ingredients.
Expanded wholesale fertilizer business with a second facility, unlocking market reach into Western ND and Montana.
2025
Arthur expands into Minnesota and adds custom aerial spraying operations through the acquisition of AgriMAX and Right Way Ag Services.