Beck’s Hybrids Expands Footprint
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAtlanta-based Beck's Hybrids is planning to expand into Iowa and Missouri. The family-owned seed company already has a presence in six states. The announcement comes on the heels of President Sonny Beck being named National Agri-Marketing Association 2014 Agribusiness Leader of the Year. February 20, 2014
News Release
ATLANTA, Ind. – Beck's Hybrids is excited to announce a territory expansion into two crop reporting districts in Iowa and three crop reporting districts in Missouri. As the largest family-owned seed company in the United States, Beck's marketing area also includes Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, southern Michigan, as well as the western two-thirds of Kentucky and Tennessee. With the Iowa and Missouri expansion, more than eight million acres of corn, soybeans and wheat has been added to Beck's marketing area.
“We continue to meet a growing number of farmers who see the value in working with a family-owned seed company,” said Scott Beck, vice president of Beck's Hybrids. “Our expansive choices in traits and genetics, high yielding products, our focus on the farmer, and our commitment to seed quality continue to attract farmers. This expansion demonstrates our desire to offer Iowa and Missouri farmers improved choices in seed and agronomic services.”
Over the last few years, Beck's Hybrids has experienced significant growth with new sales territories, new facility locations, and new employees. As the company continues to grow, they remain committed to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to serve farmers with the best customer service and high yielding products. Beck's currently has a number of dedicated dealers and seed advisors in the expanded territory and is committed to adding more employees to continue providing farmers with localized service. The company will utilize its Illinois facilities in El Paso, Pontiac, Downs and Neoga to support seed distribution and customer service.
In addition, Beck's recently purchased a seed facility near Marshalltown, Iowa. The former Ottilie Seed Farm will initially serve as a research station for Beck's corn breeding and testing program. Future plans for the facility include seed storage, distribution and seed processing.
“We are thrilled that the largest family-owned seed company is expanding into Iowa,” said Randy Meeker, farmer dealer in Burlington, Iowa. “From the moment I started working with Beck's, I was impressed with their attention to detail, unsurpassed customer service, and high yielding products.”
Prior to this expansion, Beck's Hybrids has been developing and testing products for several years in Iowa and Missouri. Through their extensive and rigorous selection process, Beck's has produced some new and impressive high yielding corn, soybean and wheat products.
Along with current testing, Beck's proprietary Choice Trials is another research program that provides farmers with more products tailored for their specific growing conditions. In addition, Beck’s plans to introduce Practical Farm Research (PFR) to Iowa and Missouri farmers through its extensive network of PFR sites and PFR Partner program. PFR is research conducted with the farmer in mind. These studies include testing different management practices and new technologies to determine how they perform in varying field environments.
“At Beck's, we treat farmers the way they want to be treated,” said Sonny Beck, president of Beck’s Hybrids. “As a family-owned seed company, farming is what our company was built on. By providing farmers the best choices in traits and genetics, we're able to help them select the right product for their specific acres. We're passionate about helping farmers succeed and we look forward to working with farmers in Iowa and Missouri.”
February 20, 2014
News Release
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – NAMA is pleased to announce Sonny Beck, president, Beck's Hybrids, as the 2014 Agribusiness Leader of the Year. This award, which is NAMA's highest honor, will be presented at the Opening General Session of the 2014 Agri-Marketing Conference, “A Fresh Perspective,” April 10, 2014, in Jacksonville, Florida. The award honors outstanding leaders in agribusiness, education, government service or other agribusiness related areas who exemplify excellence in agribusiness by their significant contributions to the industry.
Sonny Beck, president of Beck's Hybrids, has led the company to unprecedented growth. As the largest family-owned seed company in the United States, Beck's Hybrids is now the sixth largest seed company in the U.S. Under Sonny's leadership, Beck's Hybrids has experienced a 20 percent increase in sales each year for the last 20 years, doubling in size every four years.
As soon as Beck joined the family operation in 1964, after graduating from Purdue University, he never let grass grow under his feet. Always aiming at building closer, stronger relationships with customers, Beck immediately launched a couple of customer events that are now long-standing traditions.
It was in that same year, Beck started what is now called the Practical Farm Research (PFR) program. Still today, the PFR program is unlike any other in the seed industry. Focused on farmer's needs, hundreds of studies are completed at five Beck's locations in an effort to look at how different management practices perform in different environments. The information is delivered to farmers across the Midwest in a 280-page summary book, website and field shows.
Beck has frequently stated that before 1992 Beck's Hybrids was a seed producer who happened to do some marketing, but with the arrival of traits, Beck's became a marketing company who happened to produce most of their own seed.
But it was not just traits that Beck and the Beck's Hybrids team pursued. In 2001, Beck's Hybrids was the first to market 100 percent of its seed corn with a seed-applied insect control system called FaSTart. Over time the seed treatment evolved and in 2009 Beck's Hybrids became the first seed company to put together a unique set of yield-enhancing products called Escalate yield enhancement system. Escalate comes standard on all Beck’s corn, soybean, wheat and alfalfa products.
Beck's dedication and passion for agriculture extends far beyond Beck's Hybrids. He has played an integral role in leading several agricultural organizations, providing each with a unique leadership approach, ultimately guiding them to newer heights.
Source: The National Agri-Marketing Association