Around The Industry July/August 2013

Dalton Yancey Honored As ‘Sugar Man of the Year - 2012’
     Dalton Yancey, former chief executive officer of the Florida Sugar Cane League, was honored as “Sugar Man of the Year – 2012” during a mid-May gathering of the Sugar Club in New York City.

     Yancey is the 55th recipient of the prestigious Dyer Memorial Award, named after the founder of B.W. Dyer & Company, a 110-year-old brokerage company for sweeteners and other foods.  The award is sponsored by the Sugar Club, an international sugar forum.
     Yancey, who also represented sugarcane producers in Hawaii and Texas, played a major role in the development of the nation’s sugar policy.  As a three-time chairman of the American Sugar Alliance, which represents all of the nation’s sugarbeet and sugarcane growers, processors and refiners, he helped coordinate the industry’s efforts on the legislative front.  He also represented  the U.S. sugar industry in the development of a number of international trade agreements that included sugar.
     Born in Lakeland, Fla., Yancey was raised on a third-generation citrus farm.  He received a degree from the University of Florida and served as an army officer in Vietnam.

Western Sugar President/CEO Mathur Retiring in March 2014
     Western Sugar Cooperative President and CEO Inder Mathur informed the company’s board of directors earlier this summer that he will be retiring at the end of March 2014.  Mathur has served as the Denver-based company’s CEO since Western Sugar became a cooperative in the spring of 2002 after 1,400 beet growers in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming formed the cooperative and purchased Western Sugar from Tate & Lyle.
     The WSC board has begun the process of finding a successor to Mathur.  “The board of directors is committed to identifying and hiring the very best executive to lead the cooperative into the future,” said WSC Chairman Nick Lapaseotes.  “Western Sugar is a strong and financially sound member-owned organization that has enjoyed great success over the past 12 years.”
     The board expressed its gratitude for Mathur’s service, noting that WSC shareholders have benefited during his tenure in several ways, including: a retirement of the cooperative’s initial debt ahead of schedule; generating beet payment return that have been among the best in the industry; and consistently delivering record returns to shareholders.  
     “There is no doubt that Inder Mathur was the right choice to be the cooperative’s first president and CEO,” Lapaseotes stated.  “We are grateful for his dedication and leadership.  Inder’s strategic vision, management ability and financial expertise have helped to make Western Sugar successful in a time of uncertain global markets.”

Enright New Betaseed President
     John Enright is the new president of Shakopee, Minn.-based Betaseed, Inc., effective as of July 1.  Enright, who had been serving as the company’s chief financial officer prior to being selected president, first joined the company in November 1995.  An accounting graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, he has been a member of Betaseed’s senior leadership team for more than six years.
     “I am confident that Betaseed has both the leadership and staff to build on its existing strengths to meet the needs of our customers,” Enright said.  “I look forward to the continued development of the organization to ensure future growth.”
     Enright replaced Kurt Wickstrom, who accepted the position of president and chief executive officer of Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative, Wahpeton, N.D.  “Kurt’s leadership has been crucial for the company to succeed during his five-year tenure at Betaseed,” Enright noted.  “We wish Kurt the very best in the future.”

Butzer Named Betaseed’s Corporate Marketing Manager
     Lisa Butzer, an employee of Betaseed from 2001 to 2011, has rejoined the company in the position of corporate marketing manager.
     Butzer, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin- Stout, was marketing manager at Metsys Engineering from 1995 to 2000.  Since 2011, she has held various positions at Apex International, including customer focus manager and, most recently, demand fulfillment manager.  She also has done marketing consulting for small locally owned businesses.  
     Butzer is a member of the American Marketing Association as well as the National Agri-Marketing Association.

Evenson Now Betaseed’s RSM for American Crystal Market
     Betaseed promoted Jason Evenson this spring to the position of regional sales manager for the American Crystal Sugar Company market.  
     Evenson, who grew up on a sugarbeet farm near Climax, Minn., holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business from the University of Minnesota-Crookston.  He joined Betaseed in 2006 as a sales representative and was promoted to a sales manager in 2009.   Prior to joining Betaseed, he worked for Bayer CropScience and American Crystal Sugar, respectively.
     As regional sales manager, Evenson replaced Duane Bernhardson, who is now Animal Nutrition Strategy lead for Betaseed.  Bernhardson’s new role focuses on assessing new markets and developing strategies and tactical plans for the commercialization of sugarbeets’ use for animal feed.

Boersma Now ACH Seeds Market Mgr. for SMBSC, Minn-Dak Areas
     ACH Seeds has named Jake Boersma as district market manager representing ACH Seeds’ Crystal® brand in the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative and Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative growing regions.
     Boersma is a native of Olivia, Minn., and a recent graduate of North Dakota State University with a major in ag economics and minor in crop and weed sciences.  He completed an agronomy internship with Maple River Grain & Agronomy, Casselton, N.D.  
     Boersma, who resides in Alexandria, Minn., reports to David Braaten, national market manager for ACH Seeds.

Dusek Joins Betaseed as Sales Manager in Red River Valley
     Lynn Dusek has joined Betaseed as sales manager in the Red River Valley, reporting to Jason Evenson, regional sales manager.
     An agriculture graduate of North Dakota State University, Dusek most recently served six years as an agriculturist for American Crystal Sugar Company in the Moorhead factory district.  His ag career began at Wahpeton, N.D., where he was a field scout for a local farming operation.  He was a location manager and agronomist for Maple Valley Ag, Tower City, N.D., prior to joining American Crystal Sugar.  Dusek has Certified Crop Advisor status through the American Society of Agronomy.

RRV Sugarbeet Museum Harvest Festival Scheduled for Sept. 8
     The Red River Valley Sugarbeet Museum hosts its 9th Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 8.  The museum is located on the southeast side of Crookston, Minn., along U.S. Highway 2.
     Doors open at 11:00 for the traditional pulled pork dinner.  Vintage equipment will be on display, with in-field demonstrations slated for the afternoon.  Among this year’s highlights is a restored Scott-Urschel harvester.
     The field demonstrations begin with a team of horses lifting four rows, followed by hand topping.  That’s followed by demonstrations of one-row McCormick-Deering, John Deere and Marbeet harvesters.  Also in the field will be a two-row-John Deere and two-row home-built Maxwell.  The demonstration concludes with a 12-row Amity unit illustrating today’s harvesting equipment and methods.
     For more information on this year’s event, contact Allan Dragseth at (218) 281-2550 or adragseth@rrv.net.

2014 Beet Institute March 12-13
     The 52nd International Sugarbeet Institute is set for March 12 and 13, 2014, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D.  The ISBI is North America’s largest sugarbeet industry trade show.
     Companies desiring preliminary exhibiting information for the 2014 ISBI can contact exhibits coordinator Bob Cournia at (218) 281-4681.  Other questions can be directed to Dr. Mohamed Khan, organizing committee chairman, at (701) 231-8596.