Agricultural supplier GROWMARK, Inc. today named Steve Buckalew to lead its operations serving farmers in the Northeast U.S. with seed and crop production inputs and services through subsidiaries GROWMARK FS, Inc. and Seedway, Inc. He will assume the responsibilities of the position of GROWMARK Vice President of Eastern Retail Operations effective Sept. 1, 2004.

Buckalew currently serves as senior vice president of United Producers, Inc., a regional livestock marketing and financial services cooperative based in Columbus, Ohio. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from The Ohio State University.

Buckalew replaces Ed Rodenburg who managed the GROWMARK subsidiary operations in the Northeast from December 2002 to July 2004. Rodenburg recently accepted the position of CEO for Lilydale Co-operative in Alberta, Canada.

“GROWMARK expanded its seed and agronomy business operations into the Northeast less than two years ago; and both the GROWMARK FS, Inc. (crop production products and services) and Seedway, Inc. (farm, turf, and garden seeds) operations have exceeded our expectations,” says Bill Davisson, GROWMARK CEO. “I’m confident that the farmers of the Northeast will continue to be the beneficiaries of the professional people, products, and services we have in place to create solutions to farmers’ unique challenges. With Steve at the helm of these operations, we will build on the base of success established in the past 18 months. He has a superb track record as a leader working for farm cooperatives and generating results. Steve has developed a keen ability to identify and meet customers’ needs.”

Davisson says the cooperative’s operations in the Northeast help provide additional return on investment to local cooperatives that are members of the GROWMARK System in the Midwest and Ontario, Canada.

Concerning his new assignment, Buckalew says, “The farmers of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia all have unique challenges and opportunities. GROWMARK FS and Seedway have teams in place that have served these farmers for many years. I’m excited to join the group and to continue to expand and grow our business in support of the individual farmer.”

GROWMARK, Inc. is a regional cooperative that provides agriculture-related products and services to local cooperative members and their farmer-owners in the U.S. and Ontario, Canada.