NAMA proudly announces that Dan Fanger, Vice President – Sales and Marketing, Unverferth Manufacturing, Co., Inc., has been selected as the 2016 NAMA Marketer of the Year.

This recognition is the most prestigious honor awarded to an active member of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing. For more than 50 years NAMA has been encouraging and promoting excellence in the industry by recognizing outstanding professional accomplishments. The NAMA Marketer of the Year award will be presented during the Second General Session of the 2016 Agri-Marketing Conference, on Thursday, April 14, in Kansas City, Mo., and is sponsored by Agri Marketing magazine.

Beginning in 1965 as the first full-time sales person for Unverferth Manufacturing Company, Fanger learned early how to build upon the company founders’ successes by listening not only to what customers say, but to dig deeper to determine what they really mean.  The knowledge he gained has sparked the innovation of new products and initiated numerous product enhancements that made them more valuable to farmers and increased dealer-customer profitability.

With Fanger’s appointment in 1991 as Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Unverferth continued to develop new products.  Throughout the ‘90s, he focused on expanding the hiring and training of a direct-sales force across North America.

Fanger’s innovative marketing and managerial abilities have helped the company prosper in both up and down markets.  Innovations, such as a dedicated dealer program, have helped the company gain market share and maintain a competitive edge.  Raising the level of partnerships with vendors has further positioned the company as a leader in implement manufacturing and technology.

As a long-standing member of Ohio NAMA, Fanger makes chapter events a priority and encourages others in the company’s marketing department to be active participants.  Throughout his tenure, several of his staff have served as chapter presidents and assisted at the national level.

Do you want to put support behind your alma mater? Have you met some NAMA students who go above and beyond? Does a certain school give you that feeling they could be this year’s winner?

Now you can join in on the fun and excitement of the NAMA Student Marketing Competition by playing “Sensational Six” …… Powered by ABEF!

Select the winner of the 2016 Student Marketing Competition, along with 5 teams that you believe will place, and you will be entered to win a $500 Visa gift card! You may enter as many forms as you would like for a better chance to win. The price for each submission is $25, which will go to the Agri-Business Educational Foundation and the future of agribusiness. The deadline for submissions is Midnight on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. The winner will be announced at the Trade Show Closing Reception on Thursday, April 14, 2016!

You do not need to be present at the Agri-Marketing Conference to win!

Click here to make your prediction now!

Recruit someone you know to become a NAMA member and be entered into a drawing for an iPad Mini. The member-get-a-member campaign will run from March 1 through April 1. The drawing will take place at the Silent Auction Area in the Connection Point of NAMA’s Annual Conference on Thursday, April 14.

Simply tell your recruit to join online and add your name and company in the box titled “Referred By.” They can also call the NAMA office (913) 491- 6500 to join; remind them to say they were referred by you.

The more members you recruit, the more your name will be entered into the drawing!

The 2016 National Ag Day is only two weeks away! The Agriculture Council of America is excited about all the events they are putting on this year in Washington D.C. See below for a complete schedule of all 2016 Ag Day activities. Hope to see you in D.C.!

2016 National Ag Day Schedule
Monday, March 14

Agri-Pulse’s Ag Day kickoff event in Room 902 in the Hart Office Building

3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion – Farm to Fork Politics: How Sustainability is Reframing Food Production and Marketing
Speakers: Chris Policinski, President & Chief Executive Officer, Land O’ Lakes, Inc.
Dave White, Co-Founder and Partner, 9b Group
Rod Snyder, President, Field to Market
Gregg Halverson, CEO, Black Gold Farms

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Agri-Pulse Customer Appreciation Reception
Keep the conversation going! Join us for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres after the panel discussion.
Sponsored by Agri-Pulse
Free of Charge
Please register for Agri-Pulse events by March 1.

Tuesday, March 15

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Mix & Mingle Luncheon
Venue: Room 106 in the Dirksen Senate Building
Emcee: Orion Samuelson
Speakers:
Senator Cory Gardner
Outstanding Young Farmer Honoree Chad Garone
Free of charge

5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Celebration of Agriculture Dinner
Venue: Whitten Patio in the USDA Building
Emcee: Orion Samuelson
Speaker: J.B. Penn, Chief Economist, John Deere
Essay Contest Winner
Charles Eastin Award Presentation
This is a ticketed event. $150 per person or $1,500 for a reserved table of 10.

Click here to register for any or all of these events!

New Member List:
Welcome our new members for February 2016:

AT LARGE
John Cranfield, Dept of Food, Agricultural & Resource Economics
Tom Rutter, Furst-McNess Company

BADGER
Sara Hendrickson, Cooperative Resources International
Jamie Mara, Dairy Business Association
Dana Thompson, Kuhn North America

CAROLINAS/VIRGINIA
Alec Check, BASF
Maggie Coates, BASF
Alex Yost, BASF

CORNBELT
Cory Venable, Highway Equipment Company

CORNHUSKER
Erin Stieren, Nebraska Farm Bureau

EASTERN
Chris Keenan, WG Critical Care

GATEWAY
Jill Miller, FamilyFarms Group

HEARTLAND
Morgan Booth, Illinois Pork Producers Association
Jill Messamore, GROWMARK, Inc.
Matt Wettersten, GROWMARK, Inc.

IOWA
Madison Bennett, John Deere Financial
Megan Burkett, Meyocks Group
Sheri Ecklor, John Deere Financial
Heather Pelzer, Monsanto
William Rooney, WOI TV (Nexstar)

MID-AMERICA
Marybeth Baxter, Beck’s Hybrids
Jill Zeller, Dow AgroSciences

MIDSOUTH
Sarah Baker, Archer Malmo

MISSOURI-KANSAS
Galen Dody, AgriLegacy
Wesley Hentges, AgriLegacy
Jacqueline Qualizza, Association Insurance Services, Inc
Abby Strawder, Sullivan Higdon & Sink
Susan Swanson, John Deere
Amanda Wheeler, Sullivan Higdon & Sink

NORTH CENTRAL
Derek Bitter, Colle+McVoy

OHIO
Brian George, Seed Consultants

ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Sean Murphy, Hemp Biz Journal

SOUTHEASTERN
Belinda Givens, Sullivan Higdon & Sink

Calling All Mid-America Chapter Members: The Purdue Student NAMA Chapter Needs Support!

Interested in helping the Purdue chapter of collegiate NAMA get ready for their upcoming competition?

Join the Mid-America Chapter this month as they help them prepare for the event. The students will be presenting their comprehensive marketing plan to the group as if they are the judges. They will provide feedback and constructive comments to all of the students, as well as an overall score using the NAMA rubric that is used at nationals.

The students are highly motivated and really looking forward to presenting to a diverse group of marketing professionals. We hope you can make it!

If you’d like to attend the meeting, please RSVP by March 4, 2016 to:
Kalyn Rose
krose@inpork.org
(317) 872-7500