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Pictured L to R: Rich Connell, Jim Fleming, Gayle Lewis, Vic Heinold,
Dave Allen, Jennifer Perrine, and T.J. Stauffer.

Who We Are | What We Do | Staff | History of the Company

Who We Are

Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc. is committed to serving the agricultural industry with integrity, passion, and excellence by assisting our candidates to reach their career goals and helping our client companies build successful teams.

What We Do

Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc. is your source for agricultural staffing and career opportunities. We are a job placement firm specializing in all facets of the agriculture industry. We recruit, screen, interview, check references, and recommend qualified candidates for positions within agribusiness. Positions range from executive management to entry level.

Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc. is a client-centered company that has built our business and reputation on providing quality services in a professional and confidential manner. Serving with integrity continues to be our mission so that we can be a valued partner of our client businesses’ growth and profitability well into the 21st century.

Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc. has a professional and experienced staff that is looking forward to serving the personnel needs of our client companies and helping candidates find the right career opportunities for many years to come. You can learn more about us by perusing our website or by calling 217-543-2505.

Client centered company focus.
All communication is confidential.
Employer paid fees.

Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc. = Professional Agricultural Recruiters You Can Trust

Staff

*Dave Allen* dave@agri-search.com (217) 543-2505	Dave received his Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education and Master’s degree in Agronomy from the University of Illinois. After participating for six months in the FFA Work Experience Abroad program in West Germany, Dave joined the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service Staff. He served as Agricultural Extension Advisor for 3 ½ years in his home county of Shelby and 4 ½ years in Piatt County. Dave worked for eight years as a sales agronomist for two Illinois cooperatives, Grand Prairie Co-op and Effingham Equity, before joining Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH in 1999. Dave is married with three children. He enjoys spending time with family, Illini basketball, Cardinal baseball, and being active in Promise Keepers. Dave specializes in placing personnel in the grain industry.
Jim Fleming jim@agri-search.com (217) 543-2505	Jim joined the Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH staff in 2002 and works primarily in the seed and agronomy areas. Prior to becoming a recruiter, Jim worked as a Farm Broadcaster reporting agribusiness news on radio and television. Growing up, Jim was active in the FFA and 4-H. He received his American Farmer Degree and Honorary State FFA Degree. Today, he helps his local FFA Chapter to bring in new members to learn more about agriculture. Jim and his family reside in Arthur. They take an active role in their church and community organizations. Jim enjoys gardening, working in the yard, and tinkering with antique tractors.
*Jennifer Perrine* jennifer@agri-search.com (217) 543-2505	Jennifer joined the company in 2007 as the Office Manager. She keeps the jobs current on the website and makes arrangements for the trade shows and career fairs. She grew up on farms in Illinois and Missouri, and her family proudly owns a Centennial farm in Edgar County and a state-designated Sesquicentennial farm in Moultrie County. Jennifer received her Bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University. Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, crafting, baking, and being involved with her church and various community clubs and organizations.
*Vic Heinold* vic@agri-search.com (217) 543-2505	Vic Heinold was raised in Kouts, Indiana. He graduated from Kouts High School and attended Purdue University. In 1976, he assumed the responsibility for the family business, Heinold Elevator and Feeds. During his tenure from 1976 until 2004, Heinold Feeds became one of the top specialty feed manufacturers in the nation and a highly recognized pre-mix manufacturer specializing in Dairy. In November of 2004, Vic was elected to the Indiana State Senate where he sponsored and authored numerous bills making Indiana a business-friendly state for agriculture and especially ethanol production. In May of 2007, he retired from the Senate and accepted a full-time position with Consolidated Grain & Barge as General Manager of the Feed Ingredient Division with a strong emphasis on Distillers Dried Grains. Vic left CGB in the fall of 2011, and in October 2011, he joined Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH as a Professional Agricultural Recruiter specializing in the grain and feed and nutrition industries. He is the father of five children and proud grandfather of fourteen. His civic activities, to name a few, include The Gideons International, Board member of the Mid-American Agriculture Show, American Feed Industry Association, and Indiana Grain and Feed Association of which he served as Chairman.
*Gayle Lewis* gayle@agri-search.com (217) 543-2505	Gayle grew up in a rural agricultural community in Macoupin County, Illinois. She co-owned a successful event planning business, lived in Germany for several years, and has worked in the medical, insurance, and cabinet manufacturing industries. Gayle's personality and business background are great assets for assisting in recruiting talent for Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH's grain and agribusiness clients. Gayle has two sons and one daughter. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her four grandchildren. Other hobbies include flower gardening, interior decorating, volunteering, and reading.
*T.J. Stauffer* tj@agri-search.com (217) 543-2505	T.J. was born and raised on his family farm near Clinton, Illinois. From a young age, his leadership potential was identified and developed through his local church and through Civil Air Patrol, an Air Force leadership program for youth. As a Precision Ag Technology Consultant, T.J. has worked with several companies to integrate agronomy and technology into practical solutions for crop producers. He understands the systems approach needed for modern crop production. He has held management positions specializing in team integration and business development. T.J. has a genuine passion for people and is uniquely gifted in team building and leadership development. He is a graduate of Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, and continues his bi-vocational ministry as an ordained clergyman with the Assemblies of God fellowship. As a minister, he provides transformational leadership to plateaued church organizations in need of revitalization. An avid outdoorsman, T.J. can often be found on remote wilderness lakes in Wisconsin, northern Minnesota, and Ontario, Canada.
*Rich Connell* Retired	Rich received his Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Iowa State University and spent nine years on the family farm in northwest Iowa. The next 23 years he worked in sales and management with Farmland Industries. Rich then joined the farmer-marketing program for a commodity brokerage firm where he established a personnel search division before forming his own company, Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc. in 1995. Officially retired since December 31, 2001, Rich enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, University of Illinois football and basketball, and attending several trade shows and career fairs each year with the RCAS staff.

History of the Company - Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc.

Rich Connell was born and raised on a dairy and grain farm near Storm Lake, Iowa. Rich developed a love for the dairy and planned to return to the farm after receiving his BS in Agricultural Education / Agronomy in 1952 from Iowa State University. The United States Army had other plans however, and Rich was drafted. He was sent to Frederick, Maryland, where, during the cold war era, he worked in the Chemical and Biological Warfare Service as a part of a US Army team developing a chemical that would sterilize wheat.

Rich met Louise Pierre from Ames, Iowa, during his senior year at Iowa State. When he was sent to Maryland, she transferred to the University of Maryland to continue her studies, and they were married in 1954. After his military discharge, Rich took a job with USDA Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, while Louise earned her degree.

Rich and Louise returned to Iowa in 1955, and he began farming with his dad. Together they quickly grew and expanded the dairy business to 80 cows. The Connell Dairy was the largest dairy farm in northwest Iowa, which meant the farm was visited by numerous sales representatives selling feed, fertilizer and seed. Rich quickly learned and understood the importance of a solid relationship between the farmer and the supplier.

Rich, Louise, and their three children continued on with the dairy after Rich’s dad died in 1960. In February 1963, a fire completely destroyed the Connell Dairy facilities. A year later, Rich took a job as a feed specialist for Farmland Industries.

With his pleasing personality, quick wit, and a little luck, Rich quickly built up a large feed business in northwest Iowa. Fortunately for Rich, there were two very large turkey farms in his territory that consumed huge quantities of feed. Rich worked to land the two turkey farms as customers and became one of Farmland’s leading feed sales reps.

In 1966, Rich was tapped to lead Farmland’s expansion into Illinois. Rich, Louise, and family relocated to Earlville, Illinois, and he began calling on grain coops all across the state. Not knowing anyone, Rich took a grain and feed directory and began making calls. The goal was to affiliate coops with Farmland to supply their feed, fuel, and agronomy products. As Rich affiliated the coops and new divisions were added, he would then recruit new people to work in these divisions. Rich developed an extensive network of people, and his excellent ability to recall names benefited him and the coops greatly. Rich learned the businesses of the coops and his experiences led him to recruit the right people to fill the jobs.

In December 1967, Rich and his family moved Bloomington, Illinois, where he opened a Farmland office. Rich developed a good reputation as an individual who understood the nature of the grain and agriculture supply business. His hard work and solid reputation helped him to affiliate 120 of Illinois’ 151 coops with Farmland. By 1976, Farmland created the Illinois Division and placed Rich as the Division Manager. Now, Rich was able to hire an aggressive staff to work the business he had built.

Ten years later, the climate in agribusiness was changing; Farmland was in financial trouble and began downsizing and consolidating. The Illinois Division was going to be merged into the Iowa Division. Rich felt it was time for him to seek new pastures, thus on September 1, 1986, Rich took an early retirement from Farmland.

Now free to ponder new opportunities, Rich’s good reputation in Illinois agriculture led to several opportunities for him to consider. Ultimately, Rich joined Frank Beurskens doing PR work at Advance Trading. Rich became an ambassador for the grain industry and began working college career fairs to encourage young people to make their career in agribusiness. Grain companies soon began contracting with Advance to have Rich fill their job needs.

Rich knew the grain industry, but he also knew there was much more to agribusiness than just grain. So on June 1, 1995, after “retiring” for the second time, Rich started Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc. and opened an office in downtown Mahomet, Illinois. He hired Jennifer Tarr who began recruiting in the Agronomy industry. Later, Tammy Miller joined the staff to work Livestock and Farm operations, Craig Mackey worked Seed, and Sherri Feather helped Rich in the Grain and Feed area.

The Mahomet office building was sold, and Rich relocated the office to the upstairs of his rural Champaign County home. By the late 90’s Rich’s initial staff had moved into other areas. He adapted his new barn on his property into an office and hired Dave Allen of Arthur on July 1, 1999. It soon became apparent that Dave would be the one to lead the business into the 21st century. Dave and his wife purchased the business on January 1, 2001, and relocated the business to Arthur, Illinois. Dave rented the former Thermogas building and set up shop with Rich agreeing to continue on as a consultant and recruiter for one year. Joining Dave and Rich were Mike Pfister working Seed and Agronomy and Jeff Tinnon working Equipment.

At the end of 2001, Rich stepped away from the business on a daily basis. Under Rich’s tutelage, Dave continued to learn the grain side of the business and hired Jim Fleming on July 1, 2002, to work the Seed and Agronomy areas. With Dave and Jim doing the daily recruiting, Rich continued as a consultant and worked trade shows, college career days, and other events. Appreciating the importance for the contributions Rich made to the business and the value of the contacts and reputation Rich had built, Dave decided that even though Rich was not actively involved in day to day operations, the name of the business should continue as Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc.

Technology has created great change in the business. Today, nearly all communication is done electronically, and web sites allow candidates and companies from all over the world to access our company. While we have witnessed great change in how we service our clients, the basic premises Rich established remain firm. We are here to partner with you to help you build your business. Take care of your customer and your customer will take care of you. Treat people fairly and they will respect you for your honesty and sincerity.

With growth came the need for more staff, and more staff created the need for larger facilities. In April 2005, the business relocated from the Thermogas building to an office site in a manufacturing complex on the southeast side of Arthur where it remains today. Six dedicated staff members (Dave Allen, Jim Fleming, Jennifer Perrine, Vic Heinold, Gayle Lewis, and T.J. Stauffer) make up the current Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH team. Together they continue to strive to provide the quality of service to our clients and candidates that Rich set out to do when the company was founded.

Rich remains a vital part of the Rich Connell AGRI-SEARCH, Inc. family. He can still be seen working the booth at some trade shows and career fairs. To Rich, strangers are friends he has not yet met. His ready smile and quick wit are still very apparent, and you can often find him enjoying a good dish of ice cream while discussing University of Illinois sports or the accomplishments of his three grandchildren.