Chairman's Message

Dear USGC Members,

It is time to prepare for the Council’s 7th International Marketing Conference and 50th Annual Membership Meeting. On behalf of the Council’s Board of Directors, my wife Jane and I invite you to join us in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico February 13-17, 2010, to be a part of this event.

When USGC first started there wasn’t a roadmap to follow. Innovative leaders recognized the need for a focused international marketing effort and quite literally forged a path for the U.S. grains industry. Over the last 50 years that fearless approach to tackling uncharted territories has continued and the result is a U.S. grain industry that continues to grow and thrive in a dramatically evolving global marketplace. International market development continues to be a critical piece of the coarse grains supply and demand picture, and the Council’s work in Developing Markets, Enabling Trade and Improving Lives is the cornerstone of opening new markets and defending those we now hold. Your participation in the February meeting will help move this process forward.

As you know, the 7th International Marketing Conference and Annual Membership Meeting is a very important meeting for the Council as it is where the Unified Export Strategy, or UES, is created. The UES serves as the Council’s marketing plan blueprint and is submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to secure our federal matching funds. This meeting is critical because it allows our members to play a direct role in helping create the UES. Through participation in the Advisory Team meetings and the general sessions, attendees will help shape the direction of the Council in the coming years.

Meeting attendees will have a chance to hear from and talk with the Council’s outstanding overseas staff, both in formal presentations and casual one-on-one interactions. If you have not had an opportunity to get to know these individuals who work so hard to expand exports of U.S. corn, barley, sorghum and their co-products, I strongly encourage you to attend.

Of course, 2010 marks the Council’s 50th Anniversary. While the full celebration of this milestone will take place at the July meeting in Boston, we will be kicking off the celebration in Puerto Vallarta and you won’t want to miss it.

Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful destination. We are going down to do the work of the Council, but there will still be time to enjoy the natural beauty and excitement of this tropical location. Guests and spouses will have the opportunity to sign up for some wonderful optional tours. Our Tuesday Night Gala will be a show you will remember for years to come.

Thank you all for the time, energy and financial investment you have made to the U.S. Grains Council. I look forward to seeing all of you in Puerto Vallarta where we will continue our efforts to build international markets for our products.

All the best,

Rick Fruth
2009/2010 USGC Chairman

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