MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, US — The Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) recognized outstanding members and chapters for accomplishments ranging from incident-free facilities to education achievements.
GEAPS longest running awards program is the annual Safety Awards. Each year the association recognizes the five facilities with the most cumulative hours without an incident and the companies with the most consecutive years without an incident.
Top facilities: cumulative hours
- Bunge North America, Russell, Manitoba, Canada - 2,064,247 hours
- The Kelly Group, Decatur, Illinois, US - 1,561,204 hours
- Bunge North America, Council Bluffs, Iowa, US - 1,546,738 hours
- Zen-Noh Grain Corp, Convent, Louisiana, US - 1,479,223 hours
- Cargill, Albion, Nebraska, US - 1,079,384 hours
Top facilities: consecutive years
- Bunge North America DeSoto Landing facility in Arkansas City, Arkansas, US - 41 years
- Bunge North America Fountain Bluff facility in Grand Tower, Illinois, US - 37 years
- Bunge North America facility in Blytheville, Arkansas, US - 33 years
- Bunge North America facility in Hickman, Kentucky, US - 33 years
- Bunge North America facility in LaGrange, Missouri, US - 33 years
- Bunge North America facility in Yazoo City, Mississippi, US - 33 years
- Bunge North America facility in Finley, Tennessee, US - 26 years
- Cargill facility in Lima, Ohio, US - 26 years
- Bunge North America facility in Albany, Illinois, US - 25 years
Of the 444 facilities that enrolled in the 2019 GEAPS Safety Awards Program, 383 facilities successfully completed the year without any lost time injuries or illnesses. A complete list of safety award winners is available on the GEAPS website.
GEAPS also honored two chapters with the Outstanding Chapter Award and Chapter Cup. The Outstanding Chapter Award went to the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, based in Salisbury, Maryland, US. Jason Illum, Bedeschi America Inc., was one of the judges for the award. He said two of the things that stood out for him were how the chapter reached out to non-members and incorporated associate members into meetings.
Another judge, David McKerchar, Parrish & Heimbecker, said it was a difficult decision to choose between the top three chapters.
“Some of the things the chapters that were in the top three all did were outstanding,” McKerchar said. “It came down to who was doing everything well and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter did a great job covering all areas of chapter involvement.”
Minneapolis won the Chapter Cup. The Chapter Resource Committee bestowed the award annually to the chapter that has highest recruitment of new members and retention of existing members. Minneapolis recruited 39 new members and retained 84.09% of their previous members.
GEAPS members are constantly recruiting their friends, colleagues and suppliers. A total of 89 members recruited a total of 114 new members this year.
GEAPS additionally recognized members who each celebrated 25 years, 40 years and 50 years of membership.
25-year members:
- Kevin McNab, Louis Dreyfus Co., Columbia River Chapter
- Bill Frogner, Integrated Solutions Group, Minneapolis Chapter
- John Cherney, Berendsen Fluid Power Ltd., Canadian Prairies Chapter
- Jeffrey Hahn, Agrex Inc, Seaway
- Dion Etter, Producers Rice Mill Inc., Mid-South Chapter
- Myron Rust, Ludlow Cooperative Elevator Co., Cornbelt Chapter
- Tracy Gliori, TMI Coatings Inc., Minneapolis Chapter
- Mike Kelley, Smith-Doyle Contractors Inc., Mid-South Chapter
- Doug Berner, All-State Belting, Kansas City Chapter
- Carl Wargel, Non-Chapter
- Daryl Watts, North Iowa Chapter
- Mark Bonk, Minneapolis Chapter
- Gary Beachner, Beachner Grain Inc., Great Plains Chapter
- Marcus Mears, Cargill, Minneapolis Chapter
- David Ayers, Champaign-Danville Grain Inspection, Cornbelt Chapter
- Michael Resner, The Essmueller Co., Cornbelt Chapter
- Rick Horpedahl, Inland Empire
- Mark Hutchison, Gulf South Chapter
- Mel Fedeniuk, LV Control Mfg Ltd., Canadian Prairies Chapter
- Jeff Showalter, Cargill, Greater Iowa Chapter
- Deborah Good, Cornbelt Chapter
40-year members:
- Ralph Baughman, Intl Fumigators Inc.
- Harlan Lund, Greater Iowa Chapter
- Roy House, Great Plains Chapter
- Mark Daniels, Minneapolis Chapter
- Steve Kimes, Minneapolis Chapter
- Donna Moraz, DeeRoss Co. Inc.
- Gary Olmstead, Non-Chapter
- Karl Keller, Keller Grain & Feed Inc., Seaway Chapter
- James Given, Thunder Bay Chapter
- Harold Sinfield, Thunder Bay Chapter
- Mick Sertich, Twin Ports Chapter
50-year members:
- Bob Lenhart, Columbia River Chapter
- Richard Bigler, Commodity Services Inc.
- George Kornstad, Non-Chapter
The 2019 recognitions also included education achievements. The GEAPS/Kansas State University Distance Credentialing Program helps grain handling and processing operations professionals build their job skills.
Participants earn base credentials by completing an organized set of six courses, with the option to augment the certification with specialist credentials. Credential holders must maintain base credentials by earning a full continuing education unit (CEU) every three years. Those who complete the Credential in grain operations management and all three specialist credentials earn a master credential. It is the equivalent of 180 hours of training.
GEAPS and KSU recognized the following individuals who earned credentials in 2019:
Master Credential in Grain Operations Management
- Keith Anderson, United Grain Corp, Columbia River Chapter
- Jay Bergland, GEAPS
- Steven Chivilo, Lewis M Carter Mfg Co., Canadian Prairies
- Dennis Doles, AgriMech Consulting LLC, Kansas City
- Mark Emery, CHS Inc.
- Wayne Hunter, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co., Greater Iowa
Credential in Grain Operations Management
- Crisanto Carrasco, CHS Inc., Gulf South
- Jordan Classen, Cargill, Greater Nebraska
- Paul DeBussac, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Paul Evans, Farmer's Cooperative Association, Inc., Kansas City
- Braidy Fehr, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Robert Halushka, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Susan Kelso, Hansen-Mueller Co.
- Rhonda Knutson, United Grain Corp, Minneapolis
- Daryl McCharles, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Anthony McElwain, Legacy Farmers Cooperative, Seaway
- Michael O'Connor, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Carlos Rodriguez, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Dean Sansome, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Tiago Van Zeller Teixeira Da Silva, DACSA Atlantic SA, Non-Chapter
- Joshua Thorkildsen, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
Specialist Credential in Grain Handling Equipment Management
- Brett Aanestad, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Keith Anderson, United Grain Corp, Columbia River
- Steven Chivilo, Lewis M Carter Mfg Co., Canadian Prairies
- Jacob Crockford, IBT Industrial Solutions, Great Plains
- Mark Emery, CHS Inc.
- Wayne Hunter, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
Specialist Credential in Grain Quality Management
- Tina Barrett, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Jay Bergland, GEAPS
- Dennis Doles, AgriMech Consulting LLC, Kansas City
- Adam Gorsuch, Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Michigan/So. Ontario
- Calvin Kerr, Goderich Elevators (Division of Parrish & Heimbecker), Michigan/So. Ontario
- Dirk Koster, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Tiago Van Zeller, Teixeira Da Silva, DACSA Atlantic SA
- Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co., Greater Iowa
Specialist Credential in Property and Casualty Risk Management
- Keith Anderson, United Grain Corp, Columbia River
- Jay Bergland, GEAPS
- Steven Chivilo, Lewis M Carter Mfg Co., Canadian Prairies
- Oscar Cuellar, Richardson International Ltd., Non-Chapter
- Dennis Doles, AgriMech Consulting LLC, Kansas City
- Mark Emery, CHS Inc.
- Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co., Greater Iowa
Credential in Grain Processing Management
- Mark Emery, CHS Inc.
- Chad Olson, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd.
- Matthew Schmitt, Keen Project Solutions LLC, Greater Iowa
- Randy Tinker, Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co., Greater Iowa
