Today, Meristem named Chris Trasher director of innovation and product management. In this role, Thrasher will support Meristem’s effort to bring more novel products to market, a release says.
“I’ve already worked with Chris Thrasher off and on for more than six years as we shaped Meristem’s product portfolio and vision for widening the pathway for new, innovative technology,” said Mitch Eviston, Meristem founder and CEO, in the release. “I’m really excited about focusing his full attention now on even more solutions that will help farmers increase nutrient-use efficiency, grow big, healthy plants fast, and gain more bushels for less.”
Thrasher grew up in rural Alabama and worked on a dairy farm from a young age. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agribusiness education from Auburn University and taught high school agriculture for 11 years prior to moving back to his hometown and working in ag retail sales for Southern States Cooperative.
“My time in retail sales fueled my passion to deliver products that would change agriculture,” he remembers. “I wanted to bring products to farmers that were easy to use and could provide value year after year. It was then I saw a big opportunity to delivery that value was with biologicals.”
After a stint at Southern States Cooperative, Thrasher moved on to family-owned Advanced Biologicals Marketing (ABM), now known as Agrauxine by Lesaffre North America, where he worked up from first regional manager, then sales manager, then director of sales and finally director of North America. In 2021, he earned his master’s of business administration from Purdue Global University.
“The opportunity to join Mitch Eviston and the Meristem team was an easy choice,” said Thrasher of the new role. “Having the opportunity to work with a company that shares my same passion and drive to revolutionize the ag industry makes it a really, really good fit.”
