The U.S. Grains Council would like to recognize Steve Hageman of Remington Seeds, LLC; Greg Hibner of J.D. Heiskell & Company; and Dave Lyons of Louis Dreyfus Commodities for their years of service.

Steve Hageman: Remington Seeds, LLC

Wrapping up 15 years of service for the U.S. Grains Council, Steve Hageman, Remington Seeds LLC, looks back over his Council experiences and sees practical benefits flowing from the Council’s work.

His stand-out example dates from 2000, when part of the U.S. corn crop carried the StarLink genetic modification, which was not yet approved in foreign markets, leading foreign buyers to reject U.S. shipments

“What most stands out for me is when we had StarLink and right away Ken Hobbie (former USGC president and CEO) was on a plane to Japan to assure our largest export customer that they would have a reliable supply of corn,” Hageman said.

For Remington, which produces corn seed, such efforts to preserve and expand markets have practical value.

“Being in the seed business, Remington is tied a little more directly to the Council’s work than some other members are,” Hageman explained. “More corn consumed by export markets means we need to produce more corn, and that calls for more corn seed – which affects our company’s bottom line.”

While Hageman cites the benefits that come from Council programs, as a member he has also actively contributed to the Council’s success, serving on the Value-Enhanced/Value-Added Advisory Team, the Funding Task Force, Public Relations and Communications committees, and currently serves on the Mem/Com Advisory Team, which he led for three years. He has also been active on The Grains Foundation board.

Greg Hibner: J.D. Heiskell & Company

Greg Hibner, president of J.D. Heiskell & Company’s Hawkeye Gold office in Ankeny, Iowa, views his 15 years of Council work from a big picture perspective.

“The tremendous growth of the ethanol market and corresponding growth of the DDGS market has been a game changer for American agriculture,” Hibner said. “The rapid escalation in DDGS production created a lot of growing pains — trade disputes, regulatory matters, quality issues, and trade barriers that affected my company and the industry.

“It’s important to understand that the Council does not trade grain or grain by-products but facilitates those trades. This is the Council’s strength. So if something non-economic is stopping me from selling DDGS made in the Midwest from local corn to a customer in China or Vietnam or Thailand, that’s where the Council can be a big help, and we’ve found them highly responsive.”

Knocking down trade barriers, coordinating industry responses, and developing relationships are the Council’s strengths, he said. “The fact that I count most of the Council’s employees as personal friends makes it easy to speak both confidentially and honestly about trade issues and thereby help make the process more effective.”

He especially cites the Council’s help in the 1990s when he was trading gluten meal into Asia, and its effectiveness with the recent rapid growth in DDGS exports, such as its role in resolving DDGS anti-dumping issues with China and Chinese product registration issues.

Hibner has served on the Market Education/Trade Servicing Committee, the International Government Affairs Committee, and Market Development committees. He currently serves on the Value-Added Advisory Team.

Dave Lyons: Louis Dreyfus Commodities

For Louis Dreyfus Commodities representative Dave Lyons, “just serving on the Board of Directors and seeing the U.S. Grains Council move forward” is one of the most rewarding aspects of his 25 years of service.

“We belong because we’re an exporter trying to grow U.S. exports,” Lyons said. “I believe we’ve been members since the Council’s founding.”

In 25 years with the Council, Lyons has been involved in almost every aspect of Council development, serving on the Membership Committee, Long-Range Planning, International Government Affairs Committee, the 2001 Funding Task Force, the 2003 Structure Task Force, the Biotech Education Committee, Trade Policy, and since 2003 on the Board of Directors.

In the 1990s, as centralized purchasing desks in many importing countries disappeared, Dreyfus was especially involved in providing speakers and expertise as part of the Council’s market programs to educate multiple buyers new to a freer trade environment.

“The Council made a concerted effort to educate buyers at that time, and I did some talks,” said Lyons. “I enjoyed seeing the development and the help over the years from Council staff.”