KSU Grain and Science Industry Service award winners, left to right: Kevin Peterson, Vortex Global; Fred Fairchild, KSU; Bob Kice, Kice Industries; Kent Symns, Direct Foods, and Dave Krishock, KSU.
“We are very proud to have Kevin recognized for Vortex’s involvement with KSU’s grain science program and with the students,” said Lee Young, chairman of Vortex Global. “It exemplifies the passion that our employees have to help further the education of grain science.”
Peterson’s involvement with the KSU grain science department began as a result of his association with KSU’s faculty member, Fred Fairchild, several decades ago. The two of them agreed that a yearly campus visit with the Vortex Mobile Display Unit would be a good introduction to Vortex equipment for the grain science students, the company said. Peterson personally conducted the presentations for many years. These presentations continue today.
When the Hal Ross Flour Mill was being considered, Peterson championed a sizable contribution of slide gates and diverters on behalf of Salina Vortex. Vortex again stepped forward when Fairchild and Peterson worked on an even larger contribution of valves for the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Center, the company said.
Peterson has spent most of his life working with grains. After graduating from Bethany College with a degree in business and economics, he was a sales representative for a company that manufactured grain handling equipment such as augers and self-unloading grain carts. He later promoted hybrid seed prior to his partnership in a grain brokerage firm that purchased and transported Kansasfarm-stored grain to feedlots, flour mills, and rail terminals. For the past 20 years he has worked at Vortex in different capacities as a marketing director, regional sales manager, and is currently the director of business development of the Titan Series line.
In addition to his fulltime responsibilities at Vortex, Peterson has served on various committees of the Kansas Grain and Feed Dealers Association, International Association of Operative Millers, and is a contributing member of the International Milling Education Foundation.
