Seed Today - Q1 2008 - (Page 20)

Seedsman Profile Tony Harper Vice President Athens Seed Company • Watkinsville, GA • 706-769-0828 Response No. 201 Family: Wife Debbie and two grown daughters: Jennifer and Courtney. Years in the seed industry: 29. Years at Athens Seed: 4. Career summary: 25 years with Pennington Seed prior to Athens Seed. Impression of the seed industry: The seed industry has become my family. The people we deal with, the customers we serve and the employees we work with are more than friends, they are like family. We may sell seeds and supplies, but we are truly in the people business. I could not ask for a better 29 years. Seed industry challenge: The industry as a whole has to be ready for change. We see the big companies make changes, smaller companies have to also make changes. The biggest challenge is to recognize how your world is changing and then make changes fast enough so that you do not get left behind. Best advice for a young professional entering the seed industry: Forget everything college tried to teach you about success. You cannot work four hours a day and expect to earn $100,000. The retail seed business is often six days a week, nine hours a day. Be willing to work, to start early and to stay late if that is what it takes to serve your customers. The only things we have to offer are our people, our service and our products. Every seed company has products. It is the quality of our people and the service they deliver that determines our success. Best ideas for dealing with people: Be honest, do what you agree to do and then make good if things don’t work out the way you planned. Clean up your mess. Key to Athens Seed Co. success: We deliver a diversified line of products for our customers from seed and fertilizer to dog food. When seed sales are slow in December, dog food picks up. Our delivery trucks run the route to our customers every week. There is a trust relationship between our drivers and customers that builds loyalty. Most rewarding experience: Being honored by my peers with the Young Georgia Seedsman Award. There is no greater feeling than being recognized by your friends and peers. Professional honors: President, Georgia Seed Association (1997); Young Georgia Seedsmen Award (1997), Director, Southern Seed Association (since 2000); President, Southern Seed Association (2007-08); Alternate, Georgia Seed Arbitration Board (current). Response No. 202 20 First Quarter 2008 http://www.crippenmfg.com http://www.northlandsuperior.com http://www.northlandsuperior.com http://www.crippenmfg.com http://www.cablevey.com http://www.cablevey.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Seed Today - Q1 2008

Seed Today - Q1 2008 Contents Editor’s Notes Cover Feature: Agrecol® Corporation Reed Barker, Ph.D. Cal/West Seeds Inc. Annual GM Use Report Bt Resistance Reported Camelina Tony Harper Gayle Jacklin According to ASTA Krauter Structures AOSCA AOSA/SCST GM and Greenhouse Gas Seed Associations Ad Index

Seed Today - Q1 2008

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