Eastern Iowa Farmer Fall 2018

future,” he said. “The other key part
of their thought process is that for a
company that has been in business for
100 years, we have served multiple
generations of the same farms. In order
to do that in the future, it’s really
important that the company is based
on a strong financial footprint.”
That also has helped the coop maintain
a level of investment that keeps it
on the cutting edge.
Burress said a lot of the credit for
the growth goes to Leiting, who is
always “gracious and humble.”
“He’s a visionary and a deep thinker,”
he said, working to move away from a
traditional approach to being ahead of
the curve in agriculture retail and such
things as marketing and branding.
“He’s built this company over the
last 30 years to where it is today. He’s
RIVER VALLEY
a great teacher. He should have been a
professor,” Burress said with a laugh.
“He’ll jump up to the white board
without a moment’s hesitation.”
Burress noted Leiting’s focus on
developing people, a point which the
retired CEO speaks to. He serves or
has served on several boards and advisory
committees, a practice he feels
is important for others in River Valley.
“I’ve always felt it was important
to spend time developing talent,”
Leiting said. “Part of our leadership
succession strategic plan is to develop
people so they can grow personally as
well as professionally and give them
opportunities.”
And as he turns over the reins,
Leiting’s focus on that has served the
company well, Burress said. n
Facts about
River Valley
Cooperative
• River Valley Cooperative
is a farmer-owned and
controlled cooperative
serving more than 2,700
farming operations in
Eastern Iowa and Western
Illinois.
• The parent cooperative
roots go back to 1906
when local farmers pooled
their grain together.
• Today, River Valley
employs 257 full-time
employees, and during
the busy spring and fall
seasons it adds 100 to
125 seasonal, part-time
employees.
YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR SUCCESS
Whether they are your livelihood or your best friend, animals are our business.
We will care for yours as if they were our own.
Specializing in Beef and Dairy herd health, consultation, and surgery.
Thank You For Your Business
Staff, left to right: Trenda Gravel, Lynda Miller, Sally Lapke, Jackie Freiburger, and Miranda McLees.
Doctors, left to right: Dr. Joe Jedlicka, Dr. Chris Rock, Dr. Luke Thole, and Dr. Tom Lapke
ROLLING HILLS
VETERINARY SERVICE
CASCADE:
1103 1st Ave E. • 563-852-3237
LAMOTTE:
113 S. Main St. • 563-773-2771
DR. JOE JEDLICKA | DR. TOM LAPKE | DR. LUKE THOLE | DR. CHRIS ROCK
eifarmer.com FALL 2018 | EASTERN IOWA FARMER 49