Bloomington, Illinois
September 5, 2003
At the
GROWMARK Annual Meeting in
Chicago today, Vice President of Finance Jeff Solberg reported
unaudited, estimated after-tax results on a consolidated basis
for the agricultural cooperative. GROWMARK posted sales of $1.7
billion, up more than $400 million from last year.
GROWMARK had estimated pre-tax earnings of $26 million, compared
to $19.4 million last year. Patronage of $18.3 million will be
paid to member cooperatives.
About 1,200
member cooperative directors and staff, GROWMARK employees, and
guests gathered for the meeting at the Hilton Chicago. The theme
for this year’s meeting was “Innovation in Action.”
“Innovation
takes place daily when GROWMARK System employees work with
farmers to create solutions to their unique challenges, and as
cooperative directors thoughtfully and skillfully guide their
organizations on behalf of the membership,” says Ann Mosby,
GROWMARK corporate communications manager.
Local
cooperatives were honored for performance achievements. GROWMARK
also thanked retiring member cooperative general managers and
GROWMARK employees. Young people representing FFA and Ontario
youth organizations addressed the assembly concerning the future
of the agriculture industry.
GROWMARK Vice
Chairman Dick Walters introduced the Young Cooperator Award
Program co-winners: Brian and Nicole Rix of Innisfil, Ont., and
Jeff and Donna Guilander of Jerseyville, Ill. Young Cooperator
Award winners are young farmers and members of FS cooperatives
who show exemplary leadership in their communities,
cooperatives, and agriculture.
Bill Davisson,
chief executive officer, delivered the CEO Address. Davisson
said, “The GROWMARK System is determined to “be the best.” Our
System professionals are never content, but always striving for
innovations, for a better quality of life through improved
agriculture.”
Chairman of the
Board and President Dan Kelley presented his address at the end
of the meeting. He said, “The portrait of our System has been
developed by defining its boundaries, focusing on the right
things, and using our firm foundation to give us permission to
look at things from an innovative angle. The image that captures
the essence of the GROWMARK System reflects our past,
concentrates on the present, and shows us the promise of the
future, releasing our dreams for future generations.”
GROWMARK
shareholder representatives decided 12 of 24 positions on the
GROWMARK Board of Directors. This included the election of eight
representatives from Illinois, one from Iowa, one from
Wisconsin, and one from Ontario, Canada. Plus, one
director-at-large was elected from the Iowa Farm Bureau
Federation (IFBF).
GROWMARK, Inc. Board of Director Elections
GROWMARK shareholder
representatives decided 12 of 24 positions on the GROWMARK Board
of Directors. This included the election of eight
representatives from Illinois, one from Iowa, one from
Wisconsin, and one from Ontario, Canada.
Plus, one director-at-large was elected from the Iowa Farm
Bureau Federation (IFBF).
Current officers
on the GROWMARK Board are:
Chairman of the
board and president
– Dan Kelley, Normal, Ill.
Vice chairman – John Reifsteck, Champaign,
Ill.
Vice chairman – Dick Walters, Woodstock,
Ill.
Secretary
– Rick Nelson, Paxton, Ill.
ILLINOIS
The GROWMARK
directors re-elected are:
(Grain District 1
- northern) Steve Riskedal, Leland,
was elected to the GROWMARK Board of Directors in 1999. He is
currently president of the board of directors of LaSalle County
Farm Supply Co., Ottawa, and has been a board member since 1991.
He is a member of the LaSalle County Farm Bureau. Riskedal and
his wife Sandy operate a crop and livestock operation.
(Grain District 3
- central) Bill Sahs, Lincoln,
was elected to
the GROWMARK Board of Directors in 1998. He was a director of
East Lincoln Farmers Grain Company, Lincoln, from 1983 until
2001, and served as president from 1990-2000. He is a member of
Logan County Farm Bureau. Sahs and his wife Barbara operate a
cash grain farming operation.
(Grain District 5
- southern) Randy Newcomb, Ashley,
has served on the
GROWMARK Board since 1987. He has been a member of the board of
AgriPride FS, Inc., Nashville, since 1983 and currently serves
as president. Newcomb is a past-president of Washington County
Farm Bureau. He and his wife Chris operate a 3,000-acre grain
and livestock farm.
(Zone A -
District 1 - northwestern) Larry Dynes, Kewanee,
was elected
to the GROWMARK Board in 1999. Dynes is a former board member of
Gold Star FS, Inc., Cambridge. He has served as treasurer,
secretary, and president of FS FUEL 24 of Geneseo L.L.C. Dynes
is a member of Henry County Farm Bureau. He and his wife Nancy
operate a grain and hog operation.
(Zone A -
District 3 - east central) Dan Kelley, Normal,
was elected
to the GROWMARK board in 1995 and has served as chairman of the
board and president since 2000. He has been a director of
Evergreen FS, Inc., Bloomington, since 1977 and has served as
president since 1985. Kelley is chairman of the ADM/GROWMARK
Board of Directors. He served on the board of Farm Credit
Services, West-Central Illinois, from 1984-1999. Kelley served
as chairman of Agribank FCB, St. Paul, Minn.,
from 1992-95. He and his wife Pam operate a grain farm in
partnership with his brothers.
(Zone B -
District 5 - western) Mike Hennenfent, Gilson,
was elected to the GROWMARK board in 1997. Since 1982, he has
been a director of Spoon River FS, Inc. (now RIVERLAND FS,
Inc.), Knoxville, serving as secretary, treasurer, vice
president, and president. He and his wife Judy, along with sons
Bill and Matt, operate an 1,800-acre grain and livestock farm.
(Zone C -
District 7 – eastern) John Reifsteck, Champaign,
has served on
the GROWMARK Board since 1993. He has been a director of Illini
FS, Inc. in Urbana since 1978. He served as vice president of
the Illini FS board for six years and was elected president in
1991. He and his wife Nancy operate a cash grain farm.
(Zone C -
District 9 - southwestern) Gary Leber, Valmeyer,
has served on
the GROWMARK Board since 1993. He is vice president of Gateway
FS, Inc., Red Bud. He is a past president of Gateway FS and the
Monroe County Farm Bureau. He and his wife Karen operate a cash
grain farm.
IOWA
(Zone D -
District 11 - central) Ray Steffens, West Union,
was elected
to the GROWMARK Board of Directors in 1999. He has been a board
member of AgVantage FS, Inc., New Hampton, since 1995. He is a
member of the Fayette County Farm Bureau. Steffens and his wife
Pamela operate a 1,000-acre crop and livestock farm. They also
milk 60 registered Holsteins.
(Director-at-Large Iowa Farm Bureau Federation) Craig Hill, Milo, was appointed to the GROWMARK Board in 2001. Hill has
served on the Iowa Farm Bureau Board of Directors since 1989.
Hill also served as the first chairman of the Iowa Ag State
Group and is a member of the Governor’s Strategic Planning
Council to help
Iowa prepare
for the future. Hill and his wife Patti farm 1,100 acres and
operate a 260-sow farrow-to-finish hog operation.
WISCONSIN
(Zone E -
District 13 - Wisconsin) Bill Hanson, Dodgeville,
represented
the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF) on the GROWMARK
Board from 1991-1998. He was elected to the Supply District 13
seat in 1998. He served on the WFBF Board from 1976 to 1998 and
was elected its vice president in 1991. He is currently chairman
of the Wisconsin State FSA Committee. Hanson is a former
president of Agri-Tech FS, Inc.,
Darlington
(now Frontier FS Cooperative). He and his wife Nancy operate a
700-acre cash crop farm.
ONTARIO
(Zone F -
District 15 - southwest) Len Mortson, Oro Station, Ontario,
was elected to the GROWMARK Board in March 1995. For the last 10
years, Mortson has been a director of Simcoe District
Co-operative Services, Barrie. Mortson has served as president
of the Canadian Jersey Cattle Association. He served as a
delegate to Co-operator’s Insurance for four years and is
currently a director of Co-operator’s Insurance Group of Canada.
Mortson and his wife Marg, along with their son Greg, operate a
dairy farm.
GROWMARK, Inc. is a federated regional
cooperative that provides agriculture-related products and
services primarily in the Midwest and Ontario, Canada.
FS-brand farm supplies and related services are marketed to
farmers in these areas by nearly 100 GROWMARK member
cooperatives. |