Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8424 / SEEDWORLD.COM JANUARY 2017 ments and seed enhancements with research locations on member and third-party sites throughout the country. While this is not new, Martin says it can be made better. “We are taking the time to pause and look at what we can do differently to make it more valuable for mem- bers and participating companies,” he explains. “We are looking to pull out a more robust data set and help companies in their decision-making process. Can they find something that works better than what they are currently using? Can they find some- thing that is more economical than what they are using but just as good? These are the types of questions we are asking to shape the research pro- gram moving forward.” Meanwhile, Martin and Ballard collectively work to forge new part- nerships and develop group buying programs that create “real value.” One of these is the Seed Box Buying Program that IPSA brought in-house last year to bring members better discounts. An upcoming program Martin is working to reinstate is the customer assistance program from major vehi- cle manufacturers. “We are working directly with General Motors, Ford and Dodge,” Martin says. “The program was well received by members, and we are looking to create deep discounts across multiple vehicle classes.” Furthermore, Martin has been working on a plan to allow members to buy healthcare at a group rate, but much of this will depend on what happens to the Affordable Care Act as the new administration comes into office. “We will continue to watch at the federal level what happens with the Affordable Care Act to see where we can plug in and try to create an opportunity for companies that are looking for different healthcare options,” Martin says. “The goal is broader availability for company employees at a lower cost.” Healthcare is a subject that greatly affects small businesses, regardless of being in the seed industry. According to the National Center for Policy Analysis, it affects how companies hire, what they pay, growth and more. The Drive for Better “Our niche is developing pro- grams to help build members’ businesses,” Martin says. “That’s what we are tackling — whether that’s through buying programs, breakout sessions around human resources, which is very impor- tant to our members, or through webinars on hot-button topics that come up throughout the year.” Education is something Martin is passionate about and that will be on show at IPSA’s annual meeting, which will be held Jan. 10-12 in San Diego, Calif. “We will continue offering topics like we’ve always done around marketing, sales and farm policy,” Martin says. “But we are working with partners, such as Corn States, to help attendees understand how to use their data, how to get that extra sale, and how to use analytics to build business. Our goal is to give them the tools, in that they can walk away from the meeting and say ‘that’s going to help my business grow,’ or ‘that’s going to help me do better with my employ- ees,’ or ‘that’s going to make me more productive.’ “Those are the type of real-world things that I want us to accomplish in education. Our program will hone in on coaching and mentoring young people coming forward, coaching employees, retaining employees, sourcing employees, benefits for mil- lennials — those pieces that are very important to all businesses going forward.” While the Annual Conference Committee is hard at work selecting the best topics and speakers for the program, the Education Committee is responsible for awarding schol- arships — something that has exploded in the past three years under the guidance Shane Ohlde, committee chair. “We’ve gone from getting 10 applicants a year to this year having more than 180 applications, and from giving three scholarships to giving 10 scholarships this year,” Martin says, noting that he hopes to be able to continue to grow the program to a $20,000 level in the coming years. “It’s exciting to see younger gen- erations really becoming part of the seed industry,” Martin says. “We see this as part of our continuing educa- tion platform. We have younger generations coming into these family operations and not just working in the warehouse but becoming part of the management teams. It is paramount for us to help train, promote, sponsor and educate the next generation.” What’s happening right now in the seed industry with consolida- tion will certainly impact that next generation, Martins adds, and that is a cornerstone for the year ahead. “We are watching that very closely and are building commu- nications around it to make sure there is a large amount of aware- ness,” he says. “We want to help seed companies maintain knowl- edge about what’s happening with regards to consolidation and how their business could be affected and how their business could benefit.” So how does all this get done? With a small team, multi-tasking is critical. “It’s very important that we prioritize,” Martin says. “We hold everything to the questions: ‘What is in the best interest of our members and where is this going to create value for them?’ That brings certain efforts or programs to the top of the list, and ensures we create value. “I’m always asking what can we do better that would be beneficial to members?” Martin admits it’s not easy having 100 bosses to report to, but he says they are some of the best people in the world. “When you wake up in the morning and know that those are who your members are and who your bosses are, that’s a good feeling. And I want to do every- thing I can to help them pave the path to a thriving future.” SW “It is paramount for us to help train, promote, sponsor and educate the next generation.” — Todd Martin