Seasons Greetings from FC Coop

Seasons Greetings!

On behalf of the Farmers Cooperative Company’s 425 full-time employees and 5,279 fellow cooperative owners, I wish you and your loved ones a Happy Holidays and a safe and prosperous 2013.

FC Coop CEO Jim Chism

As I begin my first full calendar year as CEO, I want to express a sincere “Thank-you” for all of the support you have shown my wife Marcia and I during our transition here to Iowa and to FC. This is a wonderful company with unlimited potential. During the upcoming calendar year you will see several new faces and notice several new processes at FC. All of these changes are designed to either increase the level of our expertise, improve the level of our service or make FC an even stronger company.  All of which benefit our member owners! Stay tuned.

This past year was full of challenges – some within our control and some outside of our control. We will all remember the “Drought of 2012” – the worst drought since the 1930’s – which helped drive grain prices to all-time record highs (corn peaked at $8.43/bushel and soybeans reached $17.94). Collectively we (FC and our producers) came through the drought better than many, however, we all noticed the decreased yields, the effects of which will be observed in 2013.

Financially, revenue reached almost $1.3 billion, again making us one of the largest locally grain, agronomy and feed cooperatives in the entire USA. To that end, the Board of Directors approved paying 30% cash patronage (up from the usual 20%).

We are evaluating every aspect of our business right now and making sure that we meet our producers’ needs. We will continue to spend considerable amounts of time and resources assisting our producers maximize their earnings through competitive pricing, increasing grain receiving speed and capacity and with our technical expertise. We will also continue to invest in facilities and rolling stock to better serve our producers.  

Like Us on Facebook to stay updated

I encourage everyone to stay connected with us this coming year on our new social media channels. Simply visit our website (www.fccoop.com) and click on the logos on the upper right to see what we are doing, keep abreast on breaking news, and to share your thoughts with us.

It was a memorable and successful 2012 - Together We Can make 2013 an even better year.

May you have a blessed and safe Holiday Season.

Jim Chism

CEO

Farmers Cooperative Company

FARMERS COOPERATIVE COMPANY (FC) SUPPORTS LOCAL FFA CHAPTERS WITH A DONATIONS TOWARD EDUCATION ENRICHMENT

The “Education Enrichment Program” was developed after an FFA instructor in central Iowa asked FC for a donation to replace textbooks that were over 20 years old. This program has been developed by FC to assist the FFA Chapters in its trade territory with funding for agriculture educational items for the classroom. FC has committed $15,000 for this program to be used toward items such as computers, textbooks, and equipment. Each chapter receives funds based on a student count provided by the Iowa FFA.

According to FC CEO, Jim Chism, “We at FC are honored to assist in the development of learning opportunities for America’s next generation famers and agribusiness people. Feeding the world over the next several decades will be a challenging, yet rewarding task. Our area FFA Chapters are helping to prepare our youth to take advantage of opportunities that agriculture will present.”

 

Aplington – Parkersburg FFA

FC recently donated $382 toward the purchase of auto-darkening helmets to the Aplington - Parkersburg FFA chapter







Collins-Maxwell FFA

FC recently donated $472 toward the purchase of auto-darkening helmets to the Collins-Maxwell FFA chapter 





Newell-Fonda FFA

FC recently donated $362.00 toward the purchase of two LabQuest Mini and two temperature probes from Vernier to the Newell-Fonda FFA chapter.





Panorama FFA

donated $512 toward the purchase of a cordless impact wrench, a portable battery booster pack, and a new digital camera to the Panorama FFA chapter.

http://www.fccoop.com/news/news_detail.cfm?ArticleID=159

Happy Thanksgiving from Farmers Cooperative Company

From the CEO’s Desk

November 21, 2012

Farmers Cooperative Company CEO
Jim Chism (Ames, Iowa)

Tomorrow most of us will be spending time with our family celebrating Thanksgiving, eating too much and probably watching some football on TV. I have much to be thankful for as this has been one of the most exciting years in my career in agriculture. I am very thankful for the opportunity presented to me to become the CEO of Farmers Cooperative Company and am very proud to be a part of this great cooperative. I will never take that for granted!

For all of us in agriculture, we have a lot to be thankful for in these challenging global economic times. The 2012 Harvest season produced yields, generally better than expected, harvest has been efficient and good weather has allowed producers to prepare and fertilize the land for next season.

 Feeding the world is never easy, but I doubt any one of us would prefer to work in another industry. Challenging times will be with us again in the future, but tomorrow is a day to reflect on what we are thankful for, and I am thankful for the opportunity to work with you.

We all know that farmers rarely have a full day off and Thanksgiving is often not different. The weather has been cooperating with fall field work and NH3 application, and most of our locations will be closed for the Thanksgiving Day Holiday. Please contact your local FC Agronomist to inquire about Thanksgiving intentions.

I would like to send a special “Thank you” to all of our producers, and their friends and family, who are in the armed services protecting our wonderful country throughout the world. Your dedication is appreciated and you are not forgotten by anyone back here in Iowa.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Together we can!

Jim Chism

CEO, Farmers Cooperative Co. 

Jim Chism Named CEO of Farmers Cooperative Company

Jim Chism will be FC's new CEO
starting on November 1, 2012

(Ames, IA) September 27, 2012 -- Farmers Cooperative Company (FC), the largest farmer-owned local agriculture cooperative in Iowa, today announced that Jim Chism, General Manager of Frenchman Valley Farmers Cooperative Inc. in Imperial, NE, will succeed Roger Koppen as Chief Executive Officer effective November 1, 2012.

In April, following nearly 40 years of service to FC’s combined companies, Koppen informed the board of his intent to retire; setting in motion the formal management succession strategic plan that FC’s board of directors and senior staff have had in place.

"Naming Jim Chism as Chief Executive Officer is the right step for FC," said Jim Showalter, FC's board president. "As Chief Executive Officer, Roger Koppen has served the farmers well, built a strong team and helped grow the business to where it is today. Fortunately, the board has always taken the matter of planning FC’s management succession very seriously and has had a formal management succession plan in place for years.”

 Following this plan, the board formed a search committee utilizing outside resources and counsel, and after careful consideration, selected Jim Chism as the next CEO of Farmers Cooperative Company. “Jim is a dynamic, innovative, and proven leader who will be committed to serving our members and securing FC's position as the leading agriculture inputs supplier and service provider," said Showalter.

 "I am honored that the board has chosen me to become Chief Executive Officer and continue the successful path that Roger Koppen has forged for the company," said Chism. "FC is well-positioned to capitalize on the significant opportunities before us, enhancing our products and services and - most importantly - creating value for our members. I look forward to working with our board of directors and with FC's most important asset – the employees, to build on this solid foundation, and move our business forward to best serve our members."

 Farmers Cooperative Company (FC) has corporate headquarters in Ames, IA and is the largest farmer-owned local agriculture cooperative in Iowa. FC serves over 5,500 members throughout our trade territory of over 3,000,000 acres. Members are served from our 60 locations by a 450 full time employee team. For more information, please visit www.fccoop.com.