Grain Journal - January/February 2009 - (Page 70) MERCHANDISER PROFILE Lori Goetzinger Grain Merchandising Manager West Central Cooperative Ralston, IA • 712-667-3331 inverses are always a fundamental consideration in my merchandising plans.” My best strategy to exploit market volatility: “Discipline and structure are more important today than exploiting volatility. Certain economic relationships are still valid, but some of the old fundamentals are broken in today’s environment.” Years with company: 18 Years in industry: 16 Born: June 22, 1962; Carroll, IA. Family: Husband, Neil; daughter, Danielle; son, Sam. Education: 1984: Bachelor of arts degree in accounting, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls. Career: 1984-91: Credit supervisor, Norwest Financial, Carroll, IA. 199193: Accounting specialist, West Central Cooperative, Ralston, IA. 19932008: Grain merchandising manager, West Central Cooperative. Biggest merchandising influences: “Merchandising is influenced by our space and anticipated receipts and rail logistics. Now more than ever, the access to operating capital is fundamental to the size and longevity of our basis position. We maintain a conscious and closer relationship with our lender in these volatile times.” How I rate deliver y, basis, spreads, and carrying costs: “Relative returns to space via carries or Response No. 701 Assessing risk: “The highest current risk we must manage is counterparty risk and internal monitoring of contracts.” How I utilize the markets: “Our job is to recognize the opportunities and leverage them. The markets are both a profit opportunity and offer risk reduction, and we must act accordingly in each situation.” Essential elements of a good merchandiser: “A good merchandiser must be able to assimilate a broad range of information and interpret that information in making trade decisions. One has to have the confidence to make instinctive decisions and also know when more information is needed to decide.” Biggest infleunce on carreer: “My career in grain marketing wouldn’t have happened without the encouragement and guidance of Tom Feldmann, former manager of West Central. He taught me the fundamentals of grain trading, and they still influence my marketing decisions. Since Tom’s retirement, my career has been most influenced by current manager Roger Fray. Roger has helped me take those fundamentals and to learn more about the markets.” 70 GJ J/F
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.