Seven representatives from Garst Seed Company recently graduated from the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) Management Academy. The program, developed by the Center for Food and Agricultural Business, is a collaborative effort between the School of Agriculture and the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University.  

The Garst participants hold various positions within the company ranging from sales and marketing to agronomy sciences. Recent Garst graduates include

• Ken Franzky, area agronomist,

• Dawson, Minn.;

• Mark Griffin, district sales manager, Clinton, Ill.;

• Greg Jarling, district sales manager, Oakwood, Ill.;

• Rick Schultz, district sales manager,

• Albert Lea, Minn.;

• Kevin Hulsebus, district sales manager, Atkins, Iowa;

• Jeff Schmitz, district sales manager, Aberdeen, S.D.; and

• Roy Johnson, product manager, PSA Genetics, Slater, Iowa.

“Garst places great value on professional development,” says Steve Klein, director of sales and marketing for Garst. “The company realizes that to compete in the seed industry and deliver first class services and products to customers, we must continuously develop the skill sets of our employees. The ASTA Management Academy provides great insight and business development training for our people.”

Participants in the ASTA Management Academy complete courses in finance, marketing, human resource management and strategic planning as well as special training in current issues including environmental regulations, new communication technologies and the impact of biotechnology.

Garst Seed Company is the largest member of the Advanta group of companies. With corporate and research headquarters in Slater, Iowa, Garst, along with AgriPro, AgriPro Wheat, Interstate Seeds, Gutwein Seeds and PSA Genetics are key components in Advanta’s worldwide seed technology network that includes research, development and breeding facilities in 14 U.S. states and in 26 countries around the globe. Together, Advanta is one of the top five seed companies in the world. xx